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

Saint Jerome Color Palette & Paint Colors

Six colors measured from Saint Jerome by Antonio Vivarini, 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 Yellow for the bed, sofa or curtains, and keep Warm Red to one bold piece. A warm mid-brown suits floors, wood and frames, and Deep Red works best in a single textile.

Artist: Antonio Vivarini
Date: 1440s
Movement: 15th-century Italian painting
Collection: The Metropolitan Museum of Art
Image license: Public domain (CC0)
Wall color LRV: 65

Saint Jerome by Antonio Vivarini — Antonio Vivarini, *Saint Jerome*, 1440s. 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.

Light Yellow

#E4D397 · 32% · LRV 65

Ink Olive

#3C3A16 · 23.5% · LRV 4

Warm Red

#CE4F25 · 15.3% · LRV 19

Deep Red

#99140B · 10.9% · LRV 7

Soft Red

#D55E30 · 9.9% · LRV 22

Warm Yellow

#B48535 · 8.3% · 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.

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

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

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

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

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

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

Detail of the painting where Warm Yellow is strongest — Warm 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
Light Yellow `#E4D397`	Behr M320-4 Abstract Very close Valspar 6008-5C Desert Hotsprings Very close Sherwin-Williams SW 6702 Lively Yellow Close Farrow & Ball No. 68 Dorset Cream Close	65	Main walls
Ink Olive `#3C3A16`	Behr 750D-7 Hampton Similar Sherwin-Williams SW 6181 Secret Garden Similar	4	Small accents, art, accessories
Warm Red `#CE4F25`	Sherwin-Williams SW 6883 Raucous Orange Very close Behr S-H-250 Pumpkin Patch Close Farrow & Ball No. 268 Charlotte's Locks Close Valspar 2011-3 Vivid Orange Similar	19	One bold piece
Deep Red `#99140B`	Behr S-H-210 New Penny Close Sherwin-Williams SW 6335 Fired Brick Similar	7	One small textile
Soft Red `#D55E30`	Sherwin-Williams SW 6884 Obstinate Orange Very close Behr P210-7 Japanese Koi Close Farrow & Ball No. 268 Charlotte's Locks Close Valspar 2011-2 Dark Palomino Close	22	Small accents, art, accessories
Warm Yellow `#B48535`	Behr 320D-6 Lion Mane Very close Sherwin-Williams SW 6397 Nankeen Close Valspar 3009-5 Pumpkin Squash Close Farrow & Ball No. 66 India Yellow Similar	27	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 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#CAC3A1

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

South-facing room#EAD7A0

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)#C3AA74

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 a warm mid-brown 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.

Light Yellow

Warm Yellow

Warm Red

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

Red Room Color Schemes, Paired by Painters Red

More palettes like this

The Crucifixion Carlo Crivelli, c. 1487

Madonna and Child Enthroned with Saints Raphael (Raffaello Sanzio or Santi), ca. 1504

Portrait of a Man Fra Bartolomeo (Bartolomeo di Paolo del Fattorino), shortly after 1497

FAQ

What colors are in Saint Jerome?

Measured from the image, the painting's six main colors are Light Yellow (#E4D397, 32% of the canvas), Ink Olive (#3C3A16, 23.5% of the canvas), Warm Red (#CE4F25, 15.3% of the canvas), Deep Red (#99140B, 10.9% of the canvas), Soft Red (#D55E30, 9.9% of the canvas), Warm Yellow (#B48535, 8.3% of the canvas).

Does this palette work in a small room?

Yes. The wall color reflects about 65% of the light that hits it (LRV 65), 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.