14th-century Spanish painting · art-to-room palette

Christ among the Doctors Color Palette & Paint Colors

This palette is six warm earth tones measured from Christ among the Doctors, a tempera and gold painting on wood by a Catalan painter held by The Met. It suits rooms that want warmth and depth, such as dining rooms, studies, and bedrooms.

Quick answer

Use the pale wheat #F9D8A5 on the walls and the camel #B59474 for large main surfaces. Add the sienna #957050 to wood pieces, the burnt orange #BC532B as a small accent, and the apricot #ECA95F in textiles.

Artist: Spanish (Catalan) Painter
Movement: 14th-century Spanish painting
Collection: The Metropolitan Museum of Art
Image license: Public domain (CC0)
Wall color LRV: 72

Christ among the Doctors by Spanish (Catalan) Painter — Spanish (Catalan) Painter, *Christ among the Doctors*. 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 chestnut brown

#543D2B · 28.5% · LRV 5

burnt sienna wood

#957050 · 27.5% · LRV 19

soft camel tan

#B59474 · 21.4% · LRV 32

pale wheat cream

#F9D8A5 · 11.3% · LRV 72

burnt orange clay

#BC532B · 6.5% · LRV 17

warm apricot ochre

#ECA95F · 4.8% · LRV 47

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.

Christ among the Doctors reduced to its palette colors — The same scene in 6 flat colors.

Detail of the painting where deep chestnut brown is strongest — deep chestnut brown

Detail of the painting where burnt sienna wood is strongest — burnt sienna wood

Detail of the painting where soft camel tan is strongest — soft camel tan

Detail of the painting where pale wheat cream is strongest — pale wheat cream

Detail of the painting where burnt orange clay is strongest — burnt orange clay

Detail of the painting where warm apricot ochre is strongest — warm apricot 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
deep chestnut brown `#543D2B`	Behr 280F-7 Breakfast Blend Very close Sherwin-Williams SW 7041 Van Dyke Brown Close Valspar 2009-10 Roasted Coffee Similar Farrow & Ball No. 36 Mahogany Similar	5	Small accents, art, accessories
burnt sienna wood `#957050`	Behr UL140-21 Toffee Bar Very close Sherwin-Williams SW 9106 El Caramelo Very close Valspar 2008-7B Standing Still Very close	19	Wood and frames
soft camel tan `#B59474`	Behr QE-30 Keystone Very close Sherwin-Williams SW 9097 Soft Fawn Very close Valspar 2008-7C Café Miel Very close Farrow & Ball No. 28 Dead Salmon Similar	32	Bed, sofa, curtains
pale wheat cream `#F9D8A5`	Behr BXC-31 Midsummer Very close Valspar 3003-4B Maple Cream Very close Sherwin-Williams SW 6666 Enjoyable Yellow Very close Farrow & Ball No. 68 Dorset Cream Close	72	Main walls
burnt orange clay `#BC532B`	Sherwin-Williams SW 6883 Raucous Orange Very close Behr M220-7 Jack O Lantern Very close Valspar 2011-2 Dark Palomino Similar Farrow & Ball No. 268 Charlotte's Locks Similar	17	One bold piece
warm apricot ochre `#ECA95F`	Sherwin-Williams SW 6662 Summer Day Near-identical Valspar 2006-1B Toasted Honey Very close Behr 290D-4 Arizona Close Farrow & Ball No. 66 India Yellow Similar	47	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 pale wheat 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#D8C6A9

North light is cooler and dimmer, so the warm yellow in the pale wheat can look quieter and more muted. The LRV of 72 still helps the wall bounce what light there is.

South-facing room#FADBAB

Strong south light brings out the warmth in the pale wheat and makes the room feel bright and golden. The deeper tones, such as the camel and sienna, will also look richer.

Evening, warm lamps (2700K)#CFAD7B

Warm evening bulbs push the yellow undertones forward, so the wheat wall and apricot textiles will look especially golden. The burnt orange and chestnut brown will feel cozier and deeper.

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 burnt sienna wood and the rug border takes warm apricot ochre in every combination.

Mood board

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

pale wheat cream

soft camel tan

burnt orange clay

Linen

Oiled oak

Lime plaster

Aged brass

Palette card for Christ among the Doctors

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

Office Paint Colors for a Home Office Home office

More palettes like this

Valley of Aosta: Snowstorm, Avalanche, and Thunderstorm Joseph Mallord William Turner, 1836–37

Portrait of a Woman Cornelis de Vos

Study of Water and Plants Thomas Fearnley, 1837

FAQ

Can I use the darkest brown on a whole room?

The chestnut brown #543D2B has an LRV of 5, which reads very dark. It works best on one wall, a cabinet, or trim. In a small room with little light, covering all four walls can feel closed in.

Which color should I use in a small room?

Use the pale wheat #F9D8A5 on the walls. Its LRV of 72 bounces light, which helps a small room feel more open. Keep the darker tones for furniture and textiles.

How do I keep this scheme from feeling flat?

Use the burnt orange #BC532B in small amounts against the pale wheat walls. A few pieces of the apricot #ECA95F in textiles add contrast without crowding the palette.

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.