17th-century painting · art-to-room palette

Christ on the Cross Color Palette & Paint Colors

Six colors measured from Christ on the Cross by Cecco del Caravaggio (Francesco Buoneri), with their share of the canvas, light reflectance, a room scheme and how the wall color shifts in north, south and evening light.

Quick answer

Put Soft White on most walls, use Muted Grey for the bed, sofa or curtains, and keep Ink Red to one bold piece. A warm mid-brown suits floors, wood and frames, and Warm Umber works best in a single textile.

Artist: Cecco del Caravaggio (Francesco Buoneri)
Date: ca. 1615–20
Movement: 17th-century painting
Collection: The Metropolitan Museum of Art
Image license: Public domain (CC0)
Wall color LRV: 78

Christ on the Cross by Cecco del Caravaggio (Francesco Buoneri) — Cecco del Caravaggio (Francesco Buoneri), *Christ on the Cross*, ca. 1615–20. 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.

Light Grey

#CFCFCF · 59.1% · LRV 62

Soft White

#E5E5E5 · 23.4% · LRV 78

Ink Umber

#39241B · 7.4% · LRV 2

Ink Red

#552D1C · 5.3% · LRV 4

Muted Grey

#6E6D6D · 2.4% · LRV 15

Warm Umber

#A27442 · 2.4% · LRV 21

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.

Christ on the Cross reduced to its palette colors — The same scene in 6 flat colors.

Detail of the painting where Light Grey is strongest — Light Grey

Detail of the painting where Soft White is strongest — Soft White

Detail of the painting where Ink Umber is strongest — Ink Umber

Detail of the painting where Ink Red is strongest — Ink Red

Detail of the painting where Muted Grey is strongest — Muted Grey

Detail of the painting where Warm Umber is strongest — Warm Umber

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
Light Grey `#CFCFCF`	Behr N140-2 Chicago Fog Very close Valspar 4006-1A Silver Leaf Very close Sherwin-Williams SW 7662 Evening Shadow Very close Farrow & Ball No. 284 Worsted Very close	62	Small accents, art, accessories
Soft White `#E5E5E5`	Valspar 7004-9 Gray Shimmer Near-identical Behr PR-W7 Fading Fog Very close Sherwin-Williams SW 6252 Ice Cube Very close Farrow & Ball No. 2011 Blackened Close	78	Main walls
Ink Umber `#39241B`	Sherwin-Williams SW 2838 Polished Mahogany Close Behr S-G-760 Chocolate Coco Similar	2	Small accents, art, accessories
Ink Red `#552D1C`	Sherwin-Williams SW 6048 Terra Brun Close Behr 240F-7 Root Beer Similar Valspar 1010-5 Spanish Tile Similar	4	One bold piece
Muted Grey `#6E6D6D`	Behr HDC-AC-17A Welded Iron Very close Valspar 4005-2B High-Speed Steel Close Sherwin-Williams SW 7019 Gauntlet Gray Close Farrow & Ball No. 26 Down Pipe Close	15	Bed, sofa, curtains
Warm Umber `#A27442`	Behr S270-7 Antique Penny Near-identical Sherwin-Williams SW 6391 Gallant Gold Very close Valspar 3004-7A Praline Cake Very close	21	One small textile

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 soft white 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#CBCED3

Cool, even daylight pulls colors toward grey. Warm wall tones keep a north-facing room from feeling cold.

South-facing room#EBE5DD

Strong warm sun pushes light colors toward cream by midday. If it reads too yellow, step down to a cooler version.

Evening, warm lamps (2700K)#C4B5A0

Under warm 2700K bulbs colors turn honey-toned and dark colors read almost black. Matte finishes keep the look soft.

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 Warm Umber in every combination.

Mood board

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

Soft White

Muted Grey

Ink Red

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

Maroon Color Palette for Exterior House Paint House exterior · Burgundy

Red House Color Schemes for Exterior Paint House exterior · Red

More palettes like this

Vanitas Still Life Jacques de Gheyn II, 1603

Landscape with Hunters Paul Bril, 1619

Saint Francis Peter Paul Rubens, c. 1615

FAQ

What colors are in Christ on the Cross?

Measured from the image, the painting's six main colors are Light Grey (#CFCFCF, 59.1% of the canvas), Soft White (#E5E5E5, 23.4% of the canvas), Ink Umber (#39241B, 7.4% of the canvas), Ink Red (#552D1C, 5.3% of the canvas), Muted Grey (#6E6D6D, 2.4% of the canvas), Warm Umber (#A27442, 2.4% of the canvas).

Does this palette work in a small room?

Yes. The wall color reflects about 78% of the light that hits it (LRV 78), so it keeps a small room bright. Keep the darkest colors to one piece of furniture or a textile.

Can I use this image on my own mood board?

The Metropolitan Museum of Art releases this image as public domain (cc0), so it can be reused freely.

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.