16th-century Italian painting · art-to-room palette

Saint Nicholas of Tolentino Reviving the Birds Color Palette & Paint Colors

This palette is built from warm stone greys, apricot clay, wood browns and deep brick reds, all taken from Garofalo's Saint Nicholas of Tolentino Reviving the Birds, ca. 1530, at The Metropolitan Museum of Art. It suits rooms that want warmth and a grounded, earthy feel, especially dining rooms, libraries and bedrooms.

Quick answer

Use the pale apricot-clay tone on the walls and the warm stone grey as the main color for larger surfaces. Put the wood brown on furniture and floors, and save the brick red and oxblood for accents and textiles.

Artist: Garofalo (Benvenuto Tisi da Garofalo)
Date: ca. 1530
Movement: 16th-century Italian painting
Collection: The Metropolitan Museum of Art
Image license: Public domain (CC0)
Wall color LRV: 68

Saint Nicholas of Tolentino Reviving the Birds by Garofalo (Benvenuto Tisi da Garofalo) — Garofalo (Benvenuto Tisi da Garofalo), *Saint Nicholas of Tolentino Reviving the Birds*, ca. 1530. 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 warm charcoal

#37342E · 39.1% · LRV 4

Muted warm stone

#9A978A · 18.3% · LRV 31

Dark walnut brown

#664D33 · 17.8% · LRV 8

Pale apricot clay

#DAAE8E · 15.7% · LRV 47

Deep brick red

#9A3F32 · 4.6% · LRV 11

Dark oxblood red

#703129 · 4.5% · LRV 6

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 Nicholas of Tolentino Reviving the Birds reduced to its palette colors — The same scene in 6 flat colors.

Detail of the painting where Deep warm charcoal is strongest — Deep warm charcoal

Detail of the painting where Muted warm stone is strongest — Muted warm stone

Detail of the painting where Dark walnut brown is strongest — Dark walnut brown

Detail of the painting where Pale apricot clay is strongest — Pale apricot clay

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

Detail of the painting where Dark oxblood red is strongest — Dark oxblood 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 warm charcoal `#37342E`	Behr N210-7 Havana Coffee Close Farrow & Ball No. 256 Pitch Black Close Sherwin-Williams SW 6174 Andiron Close Valspar 6011-1 Fired Earth Similar	4	Small accents, art, accessories
Muted warm stone `#9A978A`	Behr PPU8-20 Dusty Olive Very close Sherwin-Williams SW 9126 Honed Soapstone Very close Farrow & Ball No. 25 Pigeon Close Valspar 6004-2A Aspen Gray Close	31	Bed, sofa, curtains
Dark walnut brown `#664D33`	Behr N250-7 Mission Brown Very close Sherwin-Williams SW 9115 Cowboy Boots Very close Valspar 3011-8 Dark Earth Close Farrow & Ball No. 290 Salon Drab Similar	8	Wood and frames
Pale apricot clay `#DAAE8E`	Sherwin-Williams SW 6352 Soft Apricot Very close Behr PPU3-11 Autumn Air Very close Valspar 2006-6A Perfect Peach Very close Farrow & Ball No. 231 Setting Plaster Similar	47	Main walls
Deep brick red `#9A3F32`	Sherwin-Williams SW 57 Chinese Red Very close Behr PPU2-17 Morocco Red Very close Valspar 2011-7 Russet Red Close Farrow & Ball No. 248 Incarnadine Similar	11	One bold piece
Dark oxblood red `#703129`	Sherwin-Williams SW 7593 Rustic Red Near-identical Behr S160-7 Red Chipotle Close Valspar 1011-4 Posh Red Close Farrow & Ball No. 297 Preference Red Similar	6	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.

This painting has no light tone, so the wall color above is a lightened version of its palest color (#F6D0B5).

How the lightest tone 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#D5C1B4

In north light the wall color looks cooler and softer, and its apricot warmth settles into a gentle peach. Pair it with the warm stone grey to keep the room from looking flat.

South-facing room#F8D5B7

In strong south light the wall color looks brighter and warmer, close to a light apricot. Deep tones such as the walnut brown and brick red will read richer, so use them where you want more depth.

Evening, warm lamps (2700K)#CDA885

Under warm evening bulbs the wall color takes on a soft, glowing orange cast. The brick red and oxblood look especially rich at this hour, and the room feels cozy.

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 Dark walnut brown and the rug border takes Dark oxblood red in every combination.

Mood board

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

Pale apricot clay

Muted warm stone

Deep brick red

Linen

Oiled oak

Lime plaster

Aged brass

Palette card for Saint Nicholas of Tolentino Reviving the Birds

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

More palettes like this

Saint Luke Drawing the Virgin and Christ Child Girolamo da Carpi, c. 1535

The Finding of Moses Jacopo Tintoretto (Jacopo Robusti), 1560s?

Portrait of a Man Francesco Salviati (Francesco de' Rossi)

FAQ

Should I paint a whole room in the very dark tones?

The deepest colors, the warm charcoal and the dark oxblood, have very low light reflectance and read almost black in many rooms. Use them on one wall, on built-in cabinetry or on trim, not across all four walls.

Is the wall color exactly the same as the painting?

No. The painting has no light tone, so the wall color #F6D0B5 is a lightened version of its palest color, #DAAE8E. It keeps the same warm, apricot character but sits lighter so it works as a room wall.

How do I keep this scheme from feeling heavy?

Let the light apricot wall and the warm stone grey carry most of the room. Keep the dark browns and reds to furniture, floors and textiles, so the darker tones add depth without closing in the space.

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.