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

Madonna and Child with Two Angels Color Palette & Paint Colors

This palette comes from Botticelli's "Madonna and Child with Two Angels" at The Metropolitan Museum of Art, painted in tempera on wood. It is built on warm browns, ochres and creams, with one soft grey to cool things down.

Quick answer

Use the pale honey cream on the walls and the soft neutral grey on the main pieces, such as a sofa or large upholstered chair. Bring in the warm ochre as an accent, and keep the deep vermilion red for small textiles like pillows or a rug.

Artist: Botticelli
Movement: 15th-century Italian painting
Collection: The Metropolitan Museum of Art
Image license: Public domain (CC0)
Wall color LRV: 59

Madonna and Child with Two Angels by Botticelli — Botticelli, *Madonna and Child with Two Angels*. 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 Terracotta Brown

#855D4F · 35.8% · LRV 13

Soft Neutral Grey

#B2B1B6 · 23.7% · LRV 44

Warm Ochre Gold

#C48E44 · 18.7% · LRV 32

Pale Honey Cream

#E7C58D · 17.5% · LRV 59

Deep Vermilion Red

#B8301C · 3% · LRV 12

Burnt Orange Clay

#DB6F43 · 1.3% · LRV 27

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.

Madonna and Child with Two Angels reduced to its palette colors — The same scene in 6 flat colors.

Detail of the painting where Deep Terracotta Brown is strongest — Deep Terracotta Brown

Detail of the painting where Soft Neutral Grey is strongest — Soft Neutral Grey

Detail of the painting where Warm Ochre Gold is strongest — Warm Ochre Gold

Detail of the painting where Pale Honey Cream is strongest — Pale Honey Cream

Detail of the painting where Deep Vermilion Red is strongest — Deep Vermilion Red

Detail of the painting where Burnt Orange Clay is strongest — Burnt Orange Clay

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 Terracotta Brown `#855D4F`	Behr S200-6 Timeless Copper Very close Valspar 2006-7A Chocolate Sauce Very close Sherwin-Williams SW 6054 Canyon Clay Close Farrow & Ball No. 42 Picture Gallery Red Similar	13	Small accents, art, accessories
Soft Neutral Grey `#B2B1B6`	Sherwin-Williams SW 6261 Swanky Gray Very close Behr 730B-4 Winter Cocoa Very close Valspar 4005-1C Metropolis Close Farrow & Ball No. 267 Dove Tale Similar	44	Bed, sofa, curtains
Warm Ochre Gold `#C48E44`	Behr M250-5 Burnt Pumpkin Very close Sherwin-Williams SW 6383 Golden Rule Very close Valspar 3006-5A Bugle Call Close Farrow & Ball No. 66 India Yellow Close	32	One bold piece
Pale Honey Cream `#E7C58D`	Sherwin-Williams SW 7685 White Raisin Near-identical Valspar 3005-8A Cloudy Sunset Near-identical Behr M270-4 Filtered Moon Very close Farrow & Ball No. 37 Hay Close	59	Main walls
Deep Vermilion Red `#B8301C`	Behr S-G-200 Glowing Firelight Very close Sherwin-Williams SW 6622 Hearty Orange Similar Valspar 2011-5 Crimson Glow Similar Farrow & Ball No. 212 Blazer Similar	12	One small textile
Burnt Orange Clay `#DB6F43`	Sherwin-Williams SW 6885 Knockout Orange Very close Valspar 2006-3A Roasted Squash Very close Behr M220-6 Pumpkin Puree Close Farrow & Ball No. 268 Charlotte's Locks Close	27	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 honey 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#CCBA9B

The pale honey cream has an LRV of 59, so it stays light on a north-facing wall. Its warm yellow undertone can look a little flat in cool light, so judge a sample on that wall before you commit.

South-facing room#ECCC98

Strong south light brings out the yellow in the honey cream and keeps the room bright. At an LRV of 59, the wall will reflect plenty of light without looking glaring.

Evening, warm lamps (2700K)#C5A26E

Under warm evening bulbs, the honey cream turns richer and more golden. The ochre and red will also glow, so keep the grey nearby to stop the room from looking too warm.

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 Deep Vermilion Red in every combination.

Mood board

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

Pale Honey Cream

Soft Neutral Grey

Warm Ochre Gold

Linen

Oiled oak

Lime plaster

Aged brass

Palette card for Madonna and Child with Two Angels

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

Light Grey Paint for Living Room: Three Shades and What to Pair Them With Light grey · Living room

Paint Colors for South Facing Rooms South-facing

More palettes like this

Portrait of a Woman Piero del Pollaiuolo (Piero di Jacopo Benci), ca. 1480

A Hunting Scene Piero di Cosimo (Piero di Lorenzo di Piero d'Antonio), ca. 1494–1500

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

FAQ

Can I paint a room in the deep terracotta brown?

Yes, but only as a single feature wall or a small room. At an LRV of 13 it reads very dark, so it will make a space feel enclosed. Pair it with the pale honey cream on the other walls.

How much of the room should be the deep vermilion red?

Keep it small. In the painting it covers only 3% of the canvas, so it works best as a few accents, such as pillows, a throw or a rug, rather than a large surface.

Will the soft grey clash with the warm colors?

No. The grey has no clear undertone, so it balances the yellows and reds rather than competing with them. Use it on larger pieces next to the ochre and cream to keep the scheme calm.

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.