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

The Crucifixion Color Palette & Paint Colors

The Crucifixion by Carlo Crivelli is a palette of deep browns, gold and a warm cream. It suits a dining room or study that you want to feel rich and enclosed.

Quick answer

Use the cream #ECDCBF on the walls and the gold #D8B074 for the main furniture. Use #AD824E as an accent, #816544 for wood and #C98C44 for textiles.

Artist: Carlo Crivelli
Date: c. 1487
Movement: 15th-century Italian painting
Collection: The Art Institute of Chicago
Image license: Public domain (CC0)
Wall color LRV: 73

The Crucifixion by Carlo Crivelli — Carlo Crivelli, *The Crucifixion*, c. 1487. The Art Institute of Chicago, 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.

Walnut Brown

#816544 · 30% · LRV 14

Espresso Umber

#38261A · 22.2% · LRV 2

Soft Gold Tan

#D8B074 · 18.5% · LRV 47

Amber Caramel

#AD824E · 14.1% · LRV 25

Warm Ivory Cream

#ECDCBF · 13.7% · LRV 73

Burnished Ochre

#C98C44 · 1.5% · LRV 32

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.

The Crucifixion reduced to its palette colors — The same scene in 6 flat colors.

Detail of the painting where Walnut Brown is strongest — Walnut Brown

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

Detail of the painting where Soft Gold Tan is strongest — Soft Gold Tan

Detail of the painting where Amber Caramel is strongest — Amber Caramel

Detail of the painting where Warm Ivory Cream is strongest — Warm Ivory Cream

Detail of the painting where Burnished Ochre is strongest — Burnished Ochre

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
Walnut Brown `#816544`	Behr UL180-26 Bazaar Very close Sherwin-Williams SW 6139 Mossy Gold Very close Valspar 3006-9A Grecian Helmet Close Farrow & Ball No. 290 Salon Drab Similar	14	Wood and frames
Espresso Umber `#38261A`	Sherwin-Williams SW 6069 French Roast Similar Behr S-G-760 Chocolate Coco Similar	2	Small accents, art, accessories
Soft Gold Tan `#D8B074`	Behr HDC-AC-08 Mustard Field Near-identical Valspar 3005-5C Ambitious Very close Sherwin-Williams SW 9026 Tarnished Trumpet Very close Farrow & Ball No. 51 Sudbury Yellow Close	47	Bed, sofa, curtains
Amber Caramel `#AD824E`	Sherwin-Williams SW 6131 Chamois Near-identical Behr UL160-2 Gold Plated Very close Valspar 3005-5A Garden Ochre Close Farrow & Ball No. 66 India Yellow Similar	25	One bold piece
Warm Ivory Cream `#ECDCBF`	Sherwin-Williams SW 7678 Cottage Cream Near-identical Behr UL150-7 Light Incense Very close Valspar 3008-8C Hidden Path Very close Farrow & Ball No. 2013 Matchstick Very close	73	Main walls
Burnished Ochre `#C98C44`	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 Similar	32	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 warm ivory 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#D0C9BB

In north light the cream wall #ECDCBF, at LRV 73, looks calmer and slightly grayer, and the golds lose some glow.

South-facing room#F0DEBF

In strong south light the cream reads as a clear, warm ivory, and the ochre accents look brighter.

Evening, warm lamps (2700K)#C7AF8B

Under warm evening bulbs the whole palette moves toward amber, so the deep browns feel cozy and the cream turns buttery.

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 Walnut Brown and the rug border takes Burnished Ochre in every combination.

Mood board

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

Warm Ivory Cream

Soft Gold Tan

Amber Caramel

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

Mediterranean Exterior Paint Color Schemes House exterior · Mediterranean

More palettes like this

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

Saint Nicholas Providing Dowries Bicci di Lorenzo, 1433–35

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

FAQ

Can I paint a room in the dark brown?

The #38261A has an LRV of 2, so it takes up almost all the light. It works as a small door, a built-in shelf or a ceiling in a room with strong lighting.

What is the best use for the golds?

The three golds range from LRV 25 to 47. The lightest suits furniture and the darker ones suit pillows, frames or a painted border.

Does the cream go with white trim?

A white trim will look cooler than this cream. A trim in the same cream gives a softer look.

Image: The Art Institute of Chicago, 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.