13th-century Italian painting · art-to-room palette

Madonna and Child Color Palette & Paint Colors

Six colors measured from Madonna and Child by Master of the Magdalen, 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 Light Yellow on most walls, use Warm Umber for the bed, sofa or curtains, and keep Warm Yellow to one bold piece. Deep Umber suits floors, wood and frames, and Ink Umber works best in a single textile.

Artist: Master of the Magdalen
Date: ca. 1280
Movement: 13th-century Italian painting
Collection: The Metropolitan Museum of Art
Image license: Public domain (CC0)
Wall color LRV: 55

Madonna and Child by Master of the Magdalen — Master of the Magdalen, *Madonna and Child*, ca. 1280. 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.

Ink Umber

#382B23 · 39.9% · LRV 3

Soft Black

#000000 · 19.2% · LRV 0

Warm Yellow

#A97E45 · 15% · LRV 24

Warm Umber

#846C4E · 12.7% · LRV 16

Light Yellow

#E9BB85 · 9.4% · LRV 55

Deep Umber

#85502F · 3.8% · LRV 11

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

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

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

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

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

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

Detail of the painting where Deep Umber is strongest — Deep 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
Ink Umber `#382B23`	Sherwin-Williams SW 6006 Black Bean Close Behr 780B-7 Bison Brown Close Farrow & Ball No. 256 Pitch Black Similar Valspar 1011-8 Antique Burgundy Similar	3	One small textile
Soft Black `#000000`	Sherwin-Williams SW 6258 Tricorn Black Nearest available	0	Small accents, art, accessories
Warm Yellow `#A97E45`	Behr S290-6 Golden Rice Very close Sherwin-Williams SW 6131 Chamois Very close Valspar 3005-5A Garden Ochre Close	24	One bold piece
Warm Umber `#846C4E`	Valspar 3006-9A Grecian Helmet Very close Behr UL180-26 Bazaar Very close Sherwin-Williams SW 6145 Thatch Brown Very close Farrow & Ball No. 290 Salon Drab Similar	16	Bed, sofa, curtains
Light Yellow `#E9BB85`	Sherwin-Williams SW 9012 Polvo de Oro Very close Valspar 3001-5C Spun Gold Very close Behr M250-3 Apple Turnover Very close Farrow & Ball No. 51 Sudbury Yellow Similar	55	Main walls
Deep Umber `#85502F`	Behr S240-7 Leather Work Close Sherwin-Williams SW 9100 Umber Rust Close Valspar 2010-6 Burnt Caramel Similar	11	Wood and frames

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 light 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#CDB395

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

South-facing room#EEC492

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)#C59C6A

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 Deep Umber and the rug border takes Ink Umber in every combination.

Mood board

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

Light Yellow

Warm Umber

Warm Yellow

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

More palettes like this

Madonna and Child Enthroned Master of the Magdalen

FAQ

What colors are in Madonna and Child?

Measured from the image, the painting's six main colors are Ink Umber (#382B23, 39.9% of the canvas), Soft Black (#000000, 19.2% of the canvas), Warm Yellow (#A97E45, 15% of the canvas), Warm Umber (#846C4E, 12.7% of the canvas), Light Yellow (#E9BB85, 9.4% of the canvas), Deep Umber (#85502F, 3.8% of the canvas).

Does this palette work in a small room?

Use it with care. The lightest wall color in this painting has an LRV of about 55, so in a small room pair it with plenty of daylight or a lighter white on the ceiling.

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.