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

Madonna and Child with Saints Michael and John the Baptist; The Noli Me Tangere; The Conversion of Saint Paul Color Palette & Paint Colors

This palette comes from a tempera painting on wood with a gold ground, made by a Pisan painter and held by The Metropolitan Museum of Art. It runs from a near-black brown to pale gold, with amber, orange and brick red in between, so it suits rooms that want warmth and depth.

Quick answer

Use the pale gold cream (LRV 63) on the walls so the room stays light. Bring in the burnished amber on a large piece of furniture or a main feature, the tangerine orange on textiles, and the deep brick red as a small accent. Keep the near-black brown for trim, a door or a few small details.

Artist: Italian (Pisan) Painter
Movement: 14th-century Italian painting
Collection: The Metropolitan Museum of Art
Image license: Public domain (CC0)
Wall color LRV: 63

Madonna and Child with Saints Michael and John the Baptist; The Noli Me Tangere; The Conversion of Saint Paul by Italian (Pisan) Painter — Italian (Pisan) Painter, *Madonna and Child with Saints Michael and John the Baptist; The Noli Me Tangere; The Conversion of Saint Paul*. 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.

Warm near-black brown

#1E1914 · 33.5% · LRV 1

Burnished amber ochre

#D38E44 · 32.7% · LRV 34

Pale gold cream

#FDC676 · 11.2% · LRV 63

Bright tangerine orange

#FF953D · 10% · LRV 43

Deep brick red

#A93E22 · 9.6% · LRV 12

Vivid terracotta orange

#E26233 · 3% · LRV 25

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 with Saints Michael and John the Baptist; The Noli Me Tangere; The Conversion of Saint Paul reduced to its palette colors — The same scene in 6 flat colors.

Detail of the painting where Warm near-black brown is strongest — Warm near-black brown

Detail of the painting where Burnished amber ochre is strongest — Burnished amber ochre

Detail of the painting where Pale gold cream is strongest — Pale gold cream

Detail of the painting where Bright tangerine orange is strongest — Bright tangerine orange

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

Detail of the painting where Vivid terracotta orange is strongest — Vivid terracotta orange

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
Warm near-black brown `#1E1914`	Sherwin-Williams SW 6258 Tricorn Black Similar Behr 790B-7 Bitter Chocolate Similar	1	Small accents, art, accessories
Burnished amber ochre `#D38E44`	Behr M250-5 Burnt Pumpkin Close Valspar 3001-3A Hazelnut Coffee Close Sherwin-Williams SW 6383 Golden Rule Close Farrow & Ball No. 66 India Yellow Similar	34	Bed, sofa, curtains
Pale gold cream `#FDC676`	Valspar 3002-3C Peach Tea Near-identical Behr 290B-5 Torchlight Very close Sherwin-Williams SW 6668 Sunrise Very close Farrow & Ball No. 218 Yellow Ground Similar	63	Main walls
Bright tangerine orange `#FF953D`	Behr S-G-300 Hawaiian Passion Very close Valspar 2005-1A Pumpkin Custard Very close Sherwin-Williams SW 6892 Carnival Close	43	One small textile
Deep brick red `#A93E22`	Behr S-H-220 Summer Heat Very close Sherwin-Williams SW 6622 Hearty Orange Close Valspar 2011-5 Crimson Glow Similar Farrow & Ball No. 212 Blazer Similar	12	One bold piece
Vivid terracotta orange `#E26233`	Behr P210-7 Japanese Koi Very close Valspar 2010-2 Island Orange Close Sherwin-Williams SW 6885 Knockout Orange Close Farrow & Ball No. 268 Charlotte's Locks Close	25	Small accents, art, accessories

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 gold 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#DABB8C

In north light the pale gold cream wall will look softer and a little cooler than its swatch. Its warm yellow undertone still shows, so it reads as calm rather than gray.

South-facing room#FDCD86

In strong south light the pale gold cream wall will look brighter and warmer, and it may feel strong in a small room. Its LRV of 63 helps it bounce light across the room.

Evening, warm lamps (2700K)#D1A361

Under warm evening bulbs the pale gold cream wall will glow and move closer to honey. The amber and brick red will deepen, which suits a room used mostly at night.

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 a warm mid-brown and the rug border takes Bright tangerine orange in every combination.

Mood board

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

Pale gold cream

Burnished amber ochre

Deep brick red

Linen

Oiled oak

Lime plaster

Aged brass

Palette card for Madonna and Child with Saints Michael and John the Baptist; The Noli Me Tangere; The Conversion of Saint Paul

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

Peach Bathroom Paint Colors Orange · Bathroom

More palettes like this

Saint John the Evangelist Causes a Pagan Temple to Collapse Francescuccio Ghissi (Francesco di Cecco Ghissi), ca. 1370

The Crucifixion Ugolino da Siena, ca. 1315–20

The Crucifixion Stefano da Verona (Stefano di Giovanni d'Arbosio di Francia), ca. 1400

FAQ

Which color should cover most of the walls?

Use the pale gold cream, #FDC676, with an LRV of 63. It is the only light color in the palette, so it works best as the main surface. The darker tones can then sit on furniture and textiles.

Can the near-black brown be used on a whole wall?

It has an LRV of 1, so a full wall will feel very dark. Use it on trim, a door, a built-in or a small area that needs weight. Keep it away from rooms with little natural light.

How many of these colors should one room use?

Use the pale gold cream on the walls, then choose two or three of the others. A brick red accent and a tangerine textile are enough to bring the palette together without crowding the room.

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.