15th-century Italian painting · art-to-room palette

Tobias and the Angel Color Palette & Paint Colors

This palette comes from Davide Ghirlandaio's tempera and gold panel "Tobias and the Angel" (ca. 1479), held by The Metropolitan Museum of Art. It is built on warm ochres, burnt ambers and a pale straw cream, with a few deep reds and browns for weight.

Quick answer

Use the pale straw cream on the walls, burnt amber as the main color in larger pieces like a sofa or cabinet, and deep ochre for accents such as a door, a bookcase or a chair frame. Bright tangerine works best in small textiles like pillows or a throw.

Artist: Davide Ghirlandaio (David Bigordi)
Date: ca. 1479
Movement: 15th-century Italian painting
Collection: The Metropolitan Museum of Art
Image license: Public domain (CC0)
Wall color LRV: 62

Tobias and the Angel by Davide Ghirlandaio (David Bigordi) — Davide Ghirlandaio (David Bigordi), *Tobias and the Angel*, ca. 1479. The Metropolitan Museum of Art, open access. The bar shows each color's measured share of the canvas.

The 6 colors in this painting

Measured from the image and ordered by how much of the canvas they cover. LRV is how much light a color reflects, from 0 for black to 100 for white.

deep ochre brown

#875D1C · 29.8% · LRV 13

near-black umber

#26221B · 24.5% · LRV 2

pale straw cream

#DDCD9F · 22.8% · LRV 62

burnt amber

#C97F28 · 14.1% · LRV 28

bright tangerine orange

#EB8812 · 5.3% · LRV 35

deep brick red

#A12D19 · 3.5% · LRV 10

Where each color lives in the painting

Left, every pixel of the canvas snapped to its nearest palette color. Right, the detail where each color is strongest.

Tobias and the Angel reduced to its palette colors — The same scene in 6 flat colors.

Detail of the painting where deep ochre brown is strongest — deep ochre brown

Detail of the painting where near-black umber is strongest — near-black umber

Detail of the painting where pale straw cream is strongest — pale straw cream

Detail of the painting where burnt amber is strongest — burnt amber

Detail of the painting where bright tangerine orange is strongest — bright tangerine orange

Detail of the painting where deep brick red is strongest — deep brick red

Closest paint colors

The nearest color from each brand. “Near-identical” and “Very close” are hard to tell apart on a wall; with “Similar”, compare a sample with the painting. Brands with nothing close are left out.

Painting color	Closest paints	LRV	Use it for
deep ochre brown `#875D1C`	Behr 300D-7 Spanish Leather Very close Sherwin-Williams SW 6132 Relic Bronze Similar Valspar 3011-5 Autumn Surprise Similar	13	One bold piece
near-black umber `#26221B`	Sherwin-Williams SW 6258 Tricorn Black Similar Behr 790B-7 Bitter Chocolate Similar Farrow & Ball No. 256 Pitch Black Similar	2	Small accents, art, accessories
pale straw cream `#DDCD9F`	Behr PPU8-11 Mojito Near-identical Sherwin-Williams SW 6407 Ancestral Gold Very close Valspar 3008-8B Ancient Scroll Very close Farrow & Ball No. 37 Hay Close	62	Main walls
burnt amber `#C97F28`	Sherwin-Williams SW 6376 Gold Coast Very close Behr M250-6 Toffee Tart Close Valspar 3010-5 Fancy Suede Similar	28	Bed, sofa, curtains
bright tangerine orange `#EB8812`	Sherwin-Williams SW 6892 Carnival Close Valspar 2011-1 Orange Fruit Close Behr 290B-7 Yam Close	35	One small textile
deep brick red `#A12D19`	Behr S-H-210 New Penny Very close Sherwin-Williams SW 7599 Brick Paver Similar Valspar 2011-5 Crimson Glow Similar	10	Small accents, art, accessories

Paint names belong to their brands. Matches are measured from screen colors and are approximate; Light & Pigment is not affiliated with any paint brand.

How pale straw cream looks in your light

The wall color shifted for the light it will live in. Check the version closest to your room before buying a sample.

North-facing room#C6BFA6

In north light the straw cream wall (LRV 62) stays light and soft. Its warm yellow undertone keeps it from looking gray, but it may look a little cooler than it does in warmer light.

South-facing room#E4D3A6

In strong south light the straw cream wall reads brightest and can look almost creamy white. The burnt amber and deep ochre will look rich and saturated, so keep accents to a few pieces.

Evening, warm lamps (2700K)#BFA678

Under warm evening bulbs the warm undertones deepen and glow. The straw cream wall takes on a golden tone, and the amber and ochre look especially rich.

Try the palette in a room

Pick which painting color goes on the walls, the big furniture and the bold piece. Floors, shadows and light follow your choices.

Walls

Bed, sofa, island

Bold piece

Wood takes a warm mid-brown and the rug border takes bright tangerine orange in every combination.

Mood board

Details from the painting next to the colors and materials that carry them into a room.

pale straw cream

burnt amber

deep ochre brown

Linen

Oiled oak

Lime plaster

Aged brass

Save this palette

A card with the painting, all 6 colors and a room scheme. Pin it, or take it to the paint store.

Save to Pinterest Download card

Guides that use colors from this painting

Yellow Kitchen Walls: Shades Measured From Paintings Yellow · Kitchen

Mustard Paint: Shades of Golden Yellow for Interior Walls Mustard

More palettes like this

Abraham Lorenzo Monaco (Piero di Giovanni), ca. 1408–10

Saint Thomas Aquinas Aided by Saints Peter and Paul Bartolomeo degli Erri

Portrait of a Young Woman Lorenzo di Credi (Lorenzo d'Andrea d'Oderigo), ca. 1490–1500

FAQ

How much of the room should be the pale straw cream?

Use it on the largest surfaces, such as the walls. In the painting, this color covers about 23 percent of the canvas, so it works as a background rather than an accent.

Can I use the near-black umber in a room?

Yes, but use it in small amounts. At an LRV of 2, it reads almost black, so a door, a trim line or a single piece of furniture will add depth without closing the room in.

Will the bright orange be too strong for a living room?

It can be if used on large surfaces. Keep it to pillows, a throw or a small rug, and let the burnt amber and deep ochre carry most of the color.

Image: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Public domain (CC0). Palette, posterized image, details and room views generated by Light & Pigment from that image. Colors look different on screen than on a wall, so always test a sample.