Paintings for Pure White Walls

The gallery wall: every palette reads true, and the most vivid paintings lead, because strong color pops on white.

Pure White #F8F8F6

Everything echoes; warm paintings stop a white room feeling clinical.

Warm palettes 1,211
Cool palettes 12
Soft and muted 1,315

Madame Roulin and Her Baby, Vincent van Gogh 16 × 20 in portrait print (41 × 51 cm), centered 53¼ in from the floor, 8 in above the sofa. Drawn to scale on a 12 × 8 ft wall.

Wall color

Default greige

Warm palettes

Golds, reds and browns. The most vivid come first, because strong color pops on gallery white. The strongest 24 of 1,211.

Madame Roulin and Her Baby, Vincent van Gogh, 1888, oil on canvas

Vincent van Gogh Madame Roulin and Her Baby, 1888 The Met

This painting depicts three individuals in a colorful interior. A man on the left is standing on steps that are coming up from below. He wears a green suit with a white shirt underneath it and holds a hat.

Ernst Ludwig Kirchner The Visit - Couple and Newcomer, 1922 National Gallery of Art

A dark-haired, disembodied head of a haloed man with pale, peach skin floats against a red and yellow background in this vertical portrait.

Paul Gauguin Self-Portrait, 1889 National Gallery of Art

Tivoli, Sanford Robinson Gifford, 1870, oil on canvas

Sanford Robinson Gifford Tivoli, 1870 The Met

In this painting, a wicker basket is filled with yellow pears and a few red cherries. The basket rests on a table, and more pears and cherries are scattered in front of it, casting shadows on the white tablecloth.

John F. Francis Basket of Pears and Crabapples, n.d. National Gallery of Art

Isola Bella in Lago Maggiore, Sanford Robinson Gifford, 1871, oil on canvas

Sanford Robinson Gifford Isola Bella in Lago Maggiore, 1871 The Met

This painting depicts a coastal scene with a perspective from the water. There are dark, billowing gray clouds above the horizon, and the sky is pale orange.

Thomas Chambers Threatening Sky, Bay of New York, mid 19th century National Gallery of Art

The image shows a large blue and grey bowl filled with various fruits, including grapes, peaches, and a pineapple. The color palette consists of blues, greens, yellows, oranges, and browns.

William Stearns Bowl of Fruit, c. 1830/1840 National Gallery of Art

Painted in golden tones of butter and harvest yellow, tawny brown, and olive green, this horizontal landscape painting has a low wall stretching diagonally from the lower right corner off to our left, dividing a river to our right from a…

Joseph Mallord William Turner Mortlake Terrace, 1827 National Gallery of Art

A person rides a horse away from us on a narrow dirt path curving through a forest dominated by golden yellow trees in this vertical landscape painting.

Camille Corot The Forest of Coubron, 1872 National Gallery of Art

The image features a variety of fruit, including large white melons, a sliced red watermelon, and clusters of dark and white grapes with an assortment of green leaves.

Chipman Melons and Grapes, mid 19th century National Gallery of Art

A man stands on a rocky, tan-colored outcropping and gestures to two men in a rowboat, all against a gold background in this square painting. The men’s pale skin is tinged with gray but they have rosy cheeks, and all three have beards.

Duccio di Buoninsegna The Calling of the Apostles Peter and Andrew, 1308-1311 National Gallery of Art

The Veteran in a New Field, Winslow Homer, 1865, oil on canvas

Winslow Homer The Veteran in a New Field, 1865 The Met

Pompton Plains, New Jersey, Jasper Francis Cropsey, 1867, oil on canvas

Jasper Francis Cropsey Pompton Plains, New Jersey, 1867 The Met

Papers with Japanese text hang from a tree bearing red and gold leaves.

Tosa Mitsuoki Autumn Maples with Poem Slips, c. 1675 Art Institute of Chicago

Apples, Henri Matisse, 1916, oil on canvas

Henri Matisse Apples, 1916 Art Institute of Chicago

This drawing shows the faint outline of a domed building. The representation is minimalistic, with few details of the building shown besides the dome and vertical lines that might suggest columns.

Thomas Cole Sketch for Ohio State Capitol Design, c. 1838 National Gallery of Art

Saint Andrew, Simone Martini, ca. 1326, tempera on wood, gold ground

Simone Martini Saint Andrew, ca. 1326 The Met

Gold folded tall screen with red flowers, green maize plants.

Unknown artist Maize and Cockscombs, mid 17th century Art Institute of Chicago

The Chariot of Aurora, Giovanni Battista Tiepolo, 1760s, oil on canvas

Giovanni Battista Tiepolo The Chariot of Aurora, 1760s The Met

The Coronation of the Virgin, Niccolò di Buonaccorso, ca. 1380, tempera on wood, gold ground

Niccolò di Buonaccorso The Coronation of the Virgin, ca. 1380 The Met

Vase of Flowers, Odilon Redon, c. 1905, oil on fabric

Odilon Redon Vase of Flowers, c. 1905 Cleveland Museum of Art

Madonna and Child, Simone Martini, ca. 1326, tempera on wood, gold ground

Simone Martini Madonna and Child, ca. 1326 The Met

Sunset on the Sea, John Frederick Kensett, 1872, oil on canvas

John Frederick Kensett Sunset on the Sea, 1872 The Met

Cool palettes

Blues, greens and grays. The most vivid come first, because strong color pops on gallery white. 12 paintings.

Ship in Full Sail, T. Davies, 1827, oil on canvas

T. Davies Ship in Full Sail, 1827 National Gallery of Art

Shown from the chest up, a man with short, orange hair and green-tinted, pale skin looks at us, wearing a vivid blue painter's smock in this vertical portrait painting.

Vincent van Gogh Self-Portrait, 1889 National Gallery of Art

Portrait of a Woman, Corneille de Lyon, c. 1540, oil on wood

Corneille de Lyon Portrait of a Woman, c. 1540 Cleveland Museum of Art

Painted almost entirely in tones of topaz, lapis, and sky blue, the façade of a building abutting a waterway fills this horizontal painting. Brushstrokes are visible throughout and they blend to make the scene appear hazy.

Claude Monet Palazzo da Mula, Venice, 1908 National Gallery of Art

Painting of a crowd of well-dressed light-skinned people in an open, snowy field surrounded by large rolling hills.

George Bellows Love of Winter, 1914 Art Institute of Chicago

Lucie Berard (Child in White), Pierre-Auguste Renoir, 1883, oil on canvas

Pierre-Auguste Renoir Lucie Berard (Child in White), 1883 Art Institute of Chicago

A small brown dog and a pale-skinned little girl wearing a white dress sit in matching celestial-blue armchairs in this horizontal painting. To our right, the girl sits with her legs angled to our left.

Mary Cassatt Little Girl in a Blue Armchair, 1878 National Gallery of Art

Painting of a pond seen up close spotted with thickly painted pink and white water lilies and a shadow across the top third of the picture.

Claude Monet Water Lilies, 1906 Art Institute of Chicago

Edward VI (1537–1553), When Duke of Cornwall, Hans Holbein the Younger, ca. 1545; reworked 1547 or later, oil and gold on oak

Hans Holbein the Younger Edward VI (1537–1553), When Duke of Cornwall, ca. 1545; reworked 1547 or later The Met

Vivid, lush view of rolling waves in purple, white, blue, and green against a bright blue sky with a watercolor-like blending of blues and purples. Sea and sky nearly become one.

Pierre-Auguste Renoir Seascape, 1879 Art Institute of Chicago

Boy in a Blue Coat, George Bellows, 1915, oil on canvas

George Bellows Boy in a Blue Coat, 1915 Cleveland Museum of Art

Rear Admiral George W. Melville, Thomas Eakins, 1905, oil on canvas

Thomas Eakins Rear Admiral George W. Melville, 1905 National Gallery of Art

Soft and muted

Gentle, low-color paintings that keep a pale room calm. The most vivid come first, because strong color pops on gallery white. Showing 1 to 48 of 1,315.

This horizontal landscape is painted with dots and dashes in fresh green, shimmering blue, amethyst purple, shell pink, pale yellow, and cream white against the brown wood of the panel, which is visible throughout.

Georges Seurat Study for "La Grande Jatte", 1884/1885 National Gallery of Art

The Pigeon Tower at Bellevue, Paul Cézanne, 1890, oil on fabric

Paul Cézanne The Pigeon Tower at Bellevue, 1890 Cleveland Museum of Art

Arion on a Sea Horse, William-Adolphe Bouguereau, 1855, oil on fabric

William-Adolphe Bouguereau Arion on a Sea Horse, 1855 Cleveland Museum of Art

Pierre Puvis de Chavannes The Prodigal Son, probably c. 1879 National Gallery of Art

Café Wepler, Édouard Vuillard, c. 1908–10, reworked in 1912, oil on fabric

Édouard Vuillard Café Wepler, c. 1908–10, reworked in 1912 Cleveland Museum of Art

Reapers Resting in a Wheat Field, John Singer Sargent, 1885, oil on canvas

John Singer Sargent Reapers Resting in a Wheat Field, 1885 The Met

In this painting, a collection of large, ripe peaches sits on a light green plate with a white rim. The peaches are painted in shades of orange, yellow, and red, with some areas of dark red and black.

Pierre-Auguste Renoir Peaches on a Plate, 1902/1905 National Gallery of Art

A Monumental Portrait of a Monkey, India, c. 1705–1710, opaque watercolor and gold on paper

India A Monumental Portrait of a Monkey, c. 1705–1710 Art Institute of Chicago

Neptune and the Winds, Giovanni Battista Tiepolo, 1760s, oil on canvas

Giovanni Battista Tiepolo Neptune and the Winds, 1760s The Met

Painting composed of short, broad, linear brushstrokes suggesting green-leaved forest trees with light trunks on pale green grass.

Berthe Morisot Forêt de Compiègne, 1885 Art Institute of Chicago

This painting shows a scene with several people spaced out across a grassy expanse. The horizon is high in the painting, lined with white structures with red roofs and green trees.

Georges Seurat Figures in a Landscape, c. 1883 National Gallery of Art

Cliffs at Deir el Bahri, Egypt, John Singer Sargent, 1890–91, oil on canvas

John Singer Sargent Cliffs at Deir el Bahri, Egypt, 1890–91 The Met

The Plate of Apples, Paul Cézanne, c. 1877, oil on canvas

Paul Cézanne The Plate of Apples, c. 1877 Art Institute of Chicago

Shown from the chest up against a black background, a man with peachy skin wears a gold and rose-pink cloak in this vertical portrait painting.

Giovanni Bellini Giovanni Emo, c. 1475/1480 National Gallery of Art

Still Life with Apples and Pears, Paul Cézanne, ca. 1891–92, oil on canvas

Paul Cézanne Still Life with Apples and Pears, ca. 1891–92 The Met

The Sofa, Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec, ca. 1894–96, oil on cardboard

Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec The Sofa, ca. 1894–96 The Met

Open Doorway, Morocco, John Singer Sargent, 1879–80, oil on wood

John Singer Sargent Open Doorway, Morocco, 1879–80 The Met

At least one rowboat occupied by two people floats on a lake, which is surrounded by lush green vegetation in this vertical landscape painting.

Berthe Morisot Girl in a Boat with Geese, c. 1889 National Gallery of Art

The image shows a wide expanse of land with a horizon featuring rolling hills or small mountains and sparse trees. In the foreground, a person in traditional indigenous attire is pulling on a rope tethered to a resisting horse.

George Catlin Catching Wild Horses - Pawnee, 1861/1869 National Gallery of Art

About a dozen people walk and a few ride horses across a bridge spanning river that cuts through a sandy landscape in this horizontal painting.

Jean-Léon Gérôme View of Medinet El-Fayoum, c. 1868/1870 National Gallery of Art

Claude Monet Water Lilies, 1906 Art Institute of Chicago

Low Tide at Pourville, near Dieppe, 1882, Claude Monet, 1882, oil on fabric

Claude Monet Low Tide at Pourville, near Dieppe, 1882, 1882 Cleveland Museum of Art

Pierre-Auguste Renoir Girl with a Basket of Oranges, c. 1889 National Gallery of Art

The head and floppy ears of a dog with a delicate muzzle are loosely painted in this vertical portrait. The dog’s head is cocked to our left, and it looks at us with large, glistening black eyes.

Pierre-Auguste Renoir Head of a Dog, 1870 National Gallery of Art

Gardanne, Paul Cézanne, 1885–86, oil on canvas

Paul Cézanne Gardanne, 1885–86 The Met

The Artist in His Studio, James McNeill Whistler, 1865–66, oil on paper mounted on panel

James McNeill Whistler The Artist in His Studio, 1865–66 Art Institute of Chicago

Two pale-skinned women are shown from the waist up behind a counter in an interior space in this nearly square painting.

Édouard Vuillard Woman in a Striped Dress, 1895 National Gallery of Art

Sellar Alp, Dolomites, John Singer Sargent, ca. 1913–14, watercolor and gouache on white wove paper

John Singer Sargent Sellar Alp, Dolomites, ca. 1913–14 The Met

Mount Sainte-Victoire, Paul Cézanne, c. 1904, oil on fabric

Paul Cézanne Mount Sainte-Victoire, c. 1904 Cleveland Museum of Art

Watercolor of tiny people and horses, framed with gold flowers on navy background.

'Aliquli Jabbadar Royal Horse Inspection, Safavid dynasty (1501–1722), late 17th century Art Institute of Chicago

This painting shows a woman from the chest up, with her head slightly turned to the right. She has fair skin, red lips, and brown hair in an updo.

Paul Gauguin Madame Alexandre Kohler, 1887/1888 National Gallery of Art

A three-part panel featuring a variety of scenes, vertically stacked and richly painted. The central panel features the Virgin Mary and and Child flanked by archangels Gabriel and Michael, twelve disciples below them in grid formation.

Central Ethiopia Triptych, Late 17th century Art Institute of Chicago

A woman wearing a white and pale pink robe and holding a sickle sits on billowing clouds flanked by a lion and two young people in this vertical, oval painting. All three people have pale skin with rosy cheeks and blond hair.

Antoine Watteau Ceres (Summer), c. 1717/1718 National Gallery of Art

Still Life with Flowers and Prickly Pears, Pierre-Auguste Renoir, ca. 1885, oil on canvas

Pierre-Auguste Renoir Still Life with Flowers and Prickly Pears, ca. 1885 The Met

The painting shows a bright-green landscape with rolling hills in the distance.

Julian Alden Weir Obweebetuck, c. 1908 National Gallery of Art

Landscape with Goatherd, John Singer Sargent, 1890–1891, oil on canvas

John Singer Sargent Landscape with Goatherd, 1890–1891 The Met

We look slightly down onto a balding, bearded man with pale, peachy skin and wearing a three-piece suit, seated in a wooden armchair behind an L-shaped desk, in this loosely painted vertical portrait.

Édouard Vuillard Théodore Duret, 1912 National Gallery of Art

Rinaldo and the Magus of Ascalon, Giovanni Battista Tiepolo, c. 1742–45, oil on canvas

Giovanni Battista Tiepolo Rinaldo and the Magus of Ascalon, c. 1742–45 Art Institute of Chicago

The White Bridge, John Henry Twachtman, after 1895, oil on canvas

John Henry Twachtman The White Bridge, after 1895 Art Institute of Chicago

Garden View, Brooklyn, Fidelia Bridges, ca. 1867, watercolor and gouache, with traces of graphite underdrawing, on tan hot-pressed wove paper

Fidelia Bridges Garden View, Brooklyn, ca. 1867 The Met

Three Miracles of Saint Zenobius, Sandro Botticelli, ca. 1500, tempera on wood

Sandro Botticelli Three Miracles of Saint Zenobius, ca. 1500 The Met

This oval painting depicts a cherubic child in a garden setting. The child is standing with one foot in front of the other and has small wings on their back. The child has light skin, curly blond hair, rosy cheeks, and a playful expression.

Jean-Honoré Fragonard Love the Sentinel, c. 1773/1776 National Gallery of Art

This painting shows a landscape with castle-like structures on a green hill, with a group of people gathering in colorful clothing in the bottom left.

Dosso Dossi The Trojans Building the Temple to Venus and Making Offerings at Anchises's Grave in Sicily, c. 1520 National Gallery of Art

The painting shows a coastal landscape from an elevated point of view. A structure resembling a thatched-roof cottage is on the right, partially obscured by the rolling green hills that take up the bottom right area of the painting.

Henri Moret The Island of Raguenez, Brittany, 1890/1895 National Gallery of Art

Young Woman Knitting, Berthe Morisot, ca. 1883, oil on canvas

Berthe Morisot Young Woman Knitting, ca. 1883 The Met

The Yellow Room, James McNeill Whistler, ca. 1883–84, watercolor and gouache on paperboard

James McNeill Whistler The Yellow Room, ca. 1883–84 The Met

The image shows a landscape with a settlement surrounded by lush greenery and mountains in the distance. The mountains are partly covered by clouds. The painting technique is smooth and gentle, giving the scene a serene atmosphere.

George Catlin A Crow Village and the Salmon River Mountains, 1855/1869 National Gallery of Art

Vibrant yellow, red, blue, and green painting of landscape with trees and mountains.

Wassily Kandinsky Landscape with Two Poplars, 1912 Art Institute of Chicago

Other wall colors