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

The Presentation in the Temple Color Palette & Paint Colors

This palette comes from Alvaro Pirez's tempera and gold panel "The Presentation in the Temple," painted about 1405 to 1415 and held by The Metropolitan Museum of Art. It is built on warm parchment, ochre browns, and deep olive, with a few sharp notes of red-orange and near-black, so it suits rooms that want warmth with some depth.

Quick answer

Use the pale parchment #E0CAB1 on the walls, since it is the largest share and the lightest color. Use the ochre brown #A27944 for main furniture or a large rug, and the terracotta #C66340 for a few accents such as cushions or pottery.

Artist: Alvaro Pirez
Date: ca. 1405–15
Movement: 14th-century painting
Collection: The Metropolitan Museum of Art
Image license: Public domain (CC0)
Wall color LRV: 61

The Presentation in the Temple by Alvaro Pirez — Alvaro Pirez, *The Presentation in the Temple*, ca. 1405–15. 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.

Pale warm parchment

#E0CAB1 · 28% · LRV 61

Burnished ochre brown

#A27944 · 24.6% · LRV 22

Near-black ink

#0E0E0A · 22.3% · LRV 0

Deep olive bronze

#5E5C23 · 12.6% · LRV 10

Terracotta red-orange

#C66340 · 8.3% · LRV 21

Golden amber ochre

#C08127 · 4.2% · LRV 27

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

Detail of the painting where Pale warm parchment is strongest — Pale warm parchment

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

Detail of the painting where Near-black ink is strongest — Near-black ink

Detail of the painting where Deep olive bronze is strongest — Deep olive bronze

Detail of the painting where Terracotta red-orange is strongest — Terracotta red-orange

Detail of the painting where Golden amber ochre is strongest — Golden amber 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
Pale warm parchment `#E0CAB1`	Behr N260-2 Almond Latte Near-identical Sherwin-Williams SW 9101 Tres Naturale Very close Valspar 3004-10B Holmes Cream Very close Farrow & Ball No. 264 Oxford Stone Very close	61	Main walls
Burnished ochre brown `#A27944`	Behr 270F-6 Fudge Truffle Very close Sherwin-Williams SW 6391 Gallant Gold Very close Valspar 3004-7A Praline Cake Close	22	Bed, sofa, curtains
Near-black ink `#0E0E0A`	Sherwin-Williams SW 6258 Tricorn Black Nearest available	0	Small accents, art, accessories
Deep olive bronze `#5E5C23`	Sherwin-Williams SW 6419 Saguaro Close Behr 360F-7 Olive Shadow Close Valspar 6005-4C Summer's End Similar Farrow & Ball No. 298 Bancha Similar	10	Small accents, art, accessories
Terracotta red-orange `#C66340`	Sherwin-Williams SW 6628 Robust Orange Near-identical Behr 240D-6 Chivalry Copper Very close Valspar 2011-2 Dark Palomino Very close Farrow & Ball No. 268 Charlotte's Locks Close	21	One bold piece
Golden amber ochre `#C08127`	Behr M260-7 Back To School Very close Sherwin-Williams SW 6376 Gold Coast Close Valspar 3009-5 Pumpkin Squash Close Farrow & Ball No. 66 India Yellow Similar	27	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 warm parchment 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#C8BEB2

North light is cooler and softer, so the parchment wall can look a little flat or grayer than the swatch. Its LRV of 61 keeps the room bright enough to feel open.

South-facing room#E7D0B4

Strong south light brings out the yellow in the parchment, so it reads as a clean, warm cream. Test it on the wall that gets the most sun, since the color can look brighter than expected.

Evening, warm lamps (2700K)#C0A583

Under warm evening bulbs the parchment takes on a honey tone and the room feels cozy. The ochre and amber pieces will look richer, and the olive may appear slightly darker.

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 Golden amber ochre in every combination.

Mood board

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

Pale warm parchment

Burnished ochre brown

Terracotta red-orange

Linen

Oiled oak

Lime plaster

Aged brass

Palette card for The Presentation in the Temple

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

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FAQ

Can I paint a whole room in the near-black?

The near-black #0E0E0A has an LRV of 0, so it absorbs nearly all light. Use it for trim, a door, or a single accent wall in a room with good daylight rather than a full room.

Will the pale parchment work in a small or dim room?

Yes. Its LRV of 61 reads light and bounces light around, which helps a small or dim room feel larger. Pair it with the ochre and olive in soft fabrics to keep the room from feeling blank.

How much of each color should I use?

Follow the painting's balance. The parchment covers the largest share, then the ochre brown, with the deep olive, near-black, terracotta and amber used in smaller amounts. Keep the dark and accent colors to a smaller share so they stay as highlights.

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.