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

The Annunciation Color Palette & Paint Colors

Six colors measured from The Annunciation by Budapest Master, 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 Light Yellow for the bed, sofa or curtains, and keep Warm Yellow to one bold piece. Deep Umber suits floors, wood and frames, and Deep Red works best in a single textile.

Artist: Budapest Master
Movement: 15th-century Spanish painting
Collection: The Metropolitan Museum of Art
Image license: Public domain (CC0)
Wall color LRV: 76

The Annunciation by Budapest Master — Budapest Master, *The Annunciation*. 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

#745735 · 38.5% · LRV 11

Soft Black

#25221A · 24.6% · LRV 2

Warm Yellow

#B0824B · 21% · LRV 26

Pale Yellow

#FFDF9D · 9.3% · LRV 77

Deep Red

#9F4B31 · 3.8% · LRV 13

Light Yellow

#E1AC5E · 2.8% · LRV 46

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 Annunciation 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 Soft Black is strongest — Soft Black

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

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

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

Detail of the painting where Light Yellow is strongest — Light 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 `#745735`	Sherwin-Williams SW 9107 Über Umber Close Behr MQ2-9 Clockworks Close Valspar 3011-8 Dark Earth Similar Farrow & Ball No. 290 Salon Drab Similar	11	Wood and frames
Soft Black `#25221A`	Sherwin-Williams SW 6258 Tricorn Black Similar Behr 790B-7 Bitter Chocolate Similar Farrow & Ball No. 256 Pitch Black Similar	2	Small accents, art, accessories
Warm Yellow `#B0824B`	Behr UL160-2 Gold Plated Very close Sherwin-Williams SW 6131 Chamois Very close Valspar 3005-5A Garden Ochre Very close Farrow & Ball No. 66 India Yellow Similar	26	One bold piece
Pale Yellow `#FFDF9D`	Sherwin-Williams SW 9016 La Luna Amarilla Near-identical Valspar 3001-2B Toasted Wheat Near-identical Behr 300A-3 Melted Butter Very close Farrow & Ball No. 233 Dayroom Yellow Close	77	Main walls
Deep Red `#9F4B31`	Sherwin-Williams SW 6342 Spicy Hue Very close Behr M200-7 Rusty Gate Close Valspar 2011-5 Crimson Glow Close Farrow & Ball No. 42 Picture Gallery Red Similar	13	One small textile
Light Yellow `#E1AC5E`	Valspar 3006-5B Pirate's Treasure Near-identical Behr M260-5 Mac N Cheese Very close Sherwin-Williams SW 6669 Yarrow Very close Farrow & Ball No. 51 Sudbury Yellow Close	46	Bed, sofa, curtains

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#DCCAA5

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

South-facing room#FFE1A4

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)#D2B177

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 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

Light Yellow

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

Guides that use colors from this painting

Brown House Color Combinations for Interior Rooms Brown

More palettes like this

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Virgin and Child Enthroned with Saints Catherine and Jerome Spanish Painter

Saint Christopher Meets Satan; Saint Christopher before the King of Lycia Martin de Soria, 1480–85

FAQ

What colors are in The Annunciation?

Measured from the image, the painting's six main colors are Deep Umber (#745735, 38.5% of the canvas), Soft Black (#25221A, 24.6% of the canvas), Warm Yellow (#B0824B, 21% of the canvas), Pale Yellow (#FFDF9D, 9.3% of the canvas), Deep Red (#9F4B31, 3.8% of the canvas), Light Yellow (#E1AC5E, 2.8% of the canvas).

Does this palette work in a small room?

Yes. The wall color reflects about 76% of the light that hits it (LRV 76), 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.