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

Saint John the Baptist; Saint Francis Receiving the Stigmata Color Palette & Paint Colors

Six colors measured from Saint John the Baptist; Saint Francis Receiving the Stigmata by Gerard David, 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 Pale Yellow on most walls, use Soft Teal for the bed, sofa or curtains, and keep Deep Umber to one bold piece. Warm Umber suits floors, wood and frames, and Deep Red works best in a single textile.

Artist: Gerard David
Date: ca. 1485–90
Movement: 15th-century painting
Collection: The Metropolitan Museum of Art
Image license: Public domain (CC0)
Wall color LRV: 79

Saint John the Baptist; Saint Francis Receiving the Stigmata by Gerard David — Gerard David, *Saint John the Baptist; Saint Francis Receiving the Stigmata*, ca. 1485–90. 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 Umber

#4A391B · 43.7% · LRV 5

Warm Umber

#94734A · 25.3% · LRV 19

Soft Teal

#789A98 · 15.4% · LRV 29

Light Yellow

#D5AC75 · 9.4% · LRV 45

Deep Red

#8B3121 · 4.9% · LRV 8

Pale Yellow

#FFE497 · 1.4% · LRV 79

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.

Saint John the Baptist; Saint Francis Receiving the Stigmata reduced to its palette colors — The same scene in 6 flat colors.

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

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

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

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

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

Detail of the painting where Pale Yellow is strongest — Pale Yellow

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 Umber `#4A391B`	Behr S-H-700 Burley Wood Close Sherwin-Williams SW 7041 Van Dyke Brown Similar	5	One bold piece
Warm Umber `#94734A`	Sherwin-Williams SW 2824 Renwick Golden Oak Very close Behr N270-6 Westminster Very close Valspar 3005-9A Magic Lamp Close	19	Wood and frames
Soft Teal `#789A98`	Valspar 5003-6A Water's Edge Very close Sherwin-Williams SW 20 Peacock Plume Very close Behr N460-5 Slate Rock Very close Farrow & Ball No. 85 Oval Room Blue Similar	29	Bed, sofa, curtains
Light Yellow `#D5AC75`	Sherwin-Williams SW 6388 Golden Fleece Near-identical Behr MQ2-17 Glittering Sun Near-identical Valspar 3005-5C Ambitious Near-identical Farrow & Ball No. 51 Sudbury Yellow Close	45	Small accents, art, accessories
Deep Red `#8B3121`	Sherwin-Williams SW 6335 Fired Brick Close Behr S-H-210 New Penny Close Valspar 1009-4 Cut Ruby Similar Farrow & Ball No. 248 Incarnadine Similar	8	One small textile
Pale Yellow `#FFE497`	Valspar 3005-2A Like Butter Near-identical Behr P280-3 Polka Dot Skirt Very close Sherwin-Williams SW 9017 Sunny Veranda Very close Farrow & Ball No. 233 Dayroom Yellow Very close	79	Main walls

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 yellow 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#DCCEA1

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

South-facing room#FFE4A0

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)#D2B474

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 Warm Umber and the rug border takes Deep Red in every combination.

Mood board

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

Pale Yellow

Soft Teal

Deep Umber

Linen

Oiled oak

Lime plaster

Aged brass

Palette card for Saint John the Baptist; Saint Francis Receiving the Stigmata

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

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Virgin and Child in an Apse Robert Campin

The Adoration of the Magi Hieronymus Bosch, ca. 1475

FAQ

What colors are in Saint John the Baptist; Saint Francis Receiving the Stigmata?

Measured from the image, the painting's six main colors are Deep Umber (#4A391B, 43.7% of the canvas), Warm Umber (#94734A, 25.3% of the canvas), Soft Teal (#789A98, 15.4% of the canvas), Light Yellow (#D5AC75, 9.4% of the canvas), Deep Red (#8B3121, 4.9% of the canvas), Pale Yellow (#FFE497, 1.4% of the canvas).

Does this palette work in a small room?

Yes. The wall color reflects about 79% of the light that hits it (LRV 79), 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.