Kids' Room Paintings: Horses, Dogs and Bright Color

Horses, dogs, circus tents and boats in colors as loud as the room.

A child's room can take color and energy the rest of the house cannot. Animals of every kind, horses in motion, circuses and fairs, boats and bright folk paintings all work, and saturated palettes hold their own against toys and bedding. Sizes from 11×14 to 24×36 in (28×35 to 60×90 cm) are enough; hang a little lower than adult eye level so the child can actually see the picture, and use acrylic glazing and secure hooks. Everything flagged as violent or nude is left out of this room.

Fur Traders Descending the Missouri, George Caleb Bingham 30 × 40 in landscape print (76 × 102 cm), centered 72¼ in from the floor, 8 in above the headboard. Drawn to scale on a 12 × 8 ft wall.

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Showing 1 to 48 of 255 paintings

Fur Traders Descending the Missouri, George Caleb Bingham, 1845, oil on canvas

George Caleb Bingham Fur Traders Descending the Missouri, 1845 The Met

A tired-looking brown and white cow lies down on a patch of dry earth, a dark-brown bull and cow standing behind her against an overcast sky.

Paulus Potter Two Cows and a Young Bull beside a Fence in a Meadow, 1647 Art Institute of Chicago

Wrestlers in a Circus, Ernst Ludwig Kirchner, 1909, oil on canvas

Ernst Ludwig Kirchner Wrestlers in a Circus, 1909 Cleveland Museum of Art

The Triumph of Fame; (reverse) Impresa of the Medici Family and Arms of the Medici and Tornabuoni Families, Giovanni di ser Giovanni Guidi, ca. 1449, tempera, silver, and gold on wood

Giovanni di ser Giovanni Guidi The Triumph of Fame; (reverse) Impresa of the Medici Family and Arms of the Medici and Tornabuoni Families, ca. 1449 The Met

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

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

Dozens of figures in a brown field filled with discarded corn silks form two rows and sit across from each other husking corn, a farm in the background.

Eastman Johnson Husking Bee, Island of Nantucket, 1876 Art Institute of Chicago

Marie Emilie Coignet de Courson (1716–1806) with a Dog, Jean-Honoré Fragonard, ca. 1769, oil on canvas

Jean-Honoré Fragonard Marie Emilie Coignet de Courson (1716–1806) with a Dog, ca. 1769 The Met

Lion, Unknown artist, after 1200, fresco, mounted on canvas

Unknown artist Lion, after 1200 The Met

A young, smiling boy in a ruffled collar, hat, and cumberbun rides outdoors on a brown ram, a small whip held aloft in his hand.

Francisco de Goya Boy on a Ram, 1786–87 Art Institute of Chicago

The Keeper of the Flock, Jean-François Millet, 1871–74, oil on canvas

Jean-François Millet The Keeper of the Flock, 1871–74 Art Institute of Chicago

Study for "The Bear Hunt" (for the Alcázar, Madrid), Peter Paul Rubens, c. 1639, oil on wood

Peter Paul Rubens Study for "The Bear Hunt" (for the Alcázar, Madrid), c. 1639 Cleveland Museum of Art

The Love Letter, Jean-Honoré Fragonard, early 1770s, oil on canvas

Jean-Honoré Fragonard The Love Letter, early 1770s The Met

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

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

The Meeting of Antony and Cleopatra, Giovanni Battista Tiepolo, ca. 1745–47, oil on canvas

Giovanni Battista Tiepolo The Meeting of Antony and Cleopatra, ca. 1745–47 The Met

This is a painting of a red horse standing on a patch of tan ground, tethered by a rope to a tall brown post. The horse's reddish-brown coat is rich and glossy, with white highlights. It faces the left, with its ears pricked up.

Eugène Delacroix A Horse Hitched to a Post, c. 1820 National Gallery of Art

On the Road, Jules Dupré, 1856, oil on canvas

Jules Dupré On the Road, 1856 Art Institute of Chicago

Cows Crossing a Ford, Jules Dupré, 1836, oil on canvas

Jules Dupré Cows Crossing a Ford, 1836 The Met

Three small children with pale pink skin sit and stand among a group of animals to our right as a group of eight indigenous people with light brown skin gather with eight white-skinned men near a riverbank in the distance to our left in…

Edward Hicks Peaceable Kingdom, c. 1834 National Gallery of Art

Landscape with Fisherman and Washerwoman, John Rathbone, 1790–1800, oil on panel

John Rathbone Landscape with Fisherman and Washerwoman, 1790–1800 Art Institute of Chicago

Sun drenches a landscape with trees, grassy hills, and rocky cliffs in this horizonal painting.

Jean-Victor Bertin Shepherd with His Flock, c. 1820 National Gallery of Art

The image is a portrait of a young child shown from the waist up. The child is seated and facing forward. The child has dark hair that is styled smoothly and parted down the middle.

Sturtevant J. Hamblin Little Girl with Pet Rabbit, c. 1845 National Gallery of Art

The Trotter, Charles S. Humphreys, c. 1860, oil on canvas

Charles S. Humphreys The Trotter, c. 1860 National Gallery of Art

A Dog Feast - Sioux, George Catlin, 1861/1869, oil on card mounted on paperboard

George Catlin A Dog Feast - Sioux, 1861/1869 National Gallery of Art

The image depicts a person standing beside a black horse. The person has long dark hair with feathers, wearing skin trousers, moccasins, a quiver, and a bow slung across their back.

George Catlin A Cheyenne Warrior Resting His Horse, 1861/1869 National Gallery of Art

The image shows a group of individuals on horseback in a landscape with hills in the distance. The perspective is from above, providing a panoramic view of the scene.

George Catlin Camanchee Horsemanship, 1861/1869 National Gallery of Art

The image shows a group of five individuals - four standing and one seated in the foreground. The standing individuals have varied hand positions; two hold long pipes, and one appears to hold a bow and arrow.

George Catlin Chief and Members of the Konza Tribe, 1861/1869 National Gallery of Art

The image displays a child standing and facing forward. The child has a round face with rosy cheeks, wide blue eyes, and a small closed mouth. The child's hair is light and short.

Abram Ross Stanley Joshua Lamb, 1842 National Gallery of Art

The image depicts a group of individuals engaged in a dance. They are in a tightly-knit, curved line, with dynamic poses suggestive of movement and rhythm.

George Catlin Dog Dance - Sioux, 1861 National Gallery of Art

The image shows a group of Native American men gathered closely together in a dance formation. They are positioned facing slightly towards the right, with their full bodies visible.

George Catlin Bear Dance - K'nisteneux, 1861 National Gallery of Art

The Falls of Niagara, Edward Hicks, ca. 1825, oil on canvas

Edward Hicks The Falls of Niagara, ca. 1825 The Met

In the center of this painting, there is a horse-drawn cart turned away from us, facing the right. In the cart is a person wearing dark blue clothing and a dark hat, and next to them is a white-and-pink bundle that could be another person.

Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec The Trap, 1880 National Gallery of Art

Shown from about the waist up, a woman with pale, peachy skin and dark hair holds a blond, light-skinned child on her lap at a table as they play with several small toys in this horizontal painting.

Pierre-Auguste Renoir Child with Toys - Gabrielle and the Artist's Son, Jean, 1895-1896 National Gallery of Art

Imaginary Landscape with the Palatine Hill from Campo Vaccino, François Boucher, early 1730s, oil on canvas

François Boucher Imaginary Landscape with the Palatine Hill from Campo Vaccino, early 1730s The Met

Weaning the Calves, Rosa Bonheur, 1879, oil on canvas

Rosa Bonheur Weaning the Calves, 1879 The Met

Three figures stand side by side in an outdoor setting. The person on the left is facing forward, holding a shield. They have long dark hair with feathers and wear a fringed outfit.

George Catlin Two Nezperce Warriors and a Boy, 1855/1869 National Gallery of Art

View of Delphi with a Procession, Claude Lorrain, 1673, oil on canvas

Claude Lorrain View of Delphi with a Procession, 1673 Art Institute of Chicago

In the Auvergne, Jean-François Millet, c. 1866–69, oil on canvas

Jean-François Millet In the Auvergne, c. 1866–69 Art Institute of Chicago

Vibrant colored painting of beachscape with figures, structure, and ox pulled cart.

Wassily Kandinsky Painting with Troika, January 18, 1911 Art Institute of Chicago

This painting shows a woman standing outdoors, facing the left. She has pale skin, and her face is in shadow, obscured by a wide-brimmed flat white hat with a red stripe around the edge, tied with a black bow behind her head.

Eastman Johnson Lambs, Nantucket, 1874 National Gallery of Art

Peasants Bringing Home a Calf Born in the Fields, Jean-François Millet, 1864, oil on canvas

Jean-François Millet Peasants Bringing Home a Calf Born in the Fields, 1864 Art Institute of Chicago

Autumn Landscape with a Flock of Turkeys, Jean-François Millet, 1872–73, oil on canvas

Jean-François Millet Autumn Landscape with a Flock of Turkeys, 1872–73 The Met

A white dog spotted with caramel-brown and with long, floppy ears sits in a garden setting near a green park bench in this loosely painted vertical portrait.

Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec The Artist's Dog Flèche, c. 1881 National Gallery of Art

Painting of a performance inside a circus ring. A man wearing a suit holds a whip in his hand and looks towards a woman with red hair riding a gray horse and wearing a green dress.

Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec Equestrienne (At the Cirque Fernando), 1887–88 Art Institute of Chicago

Campo Sant'Angelo, Venice, Canaletto, 1730s, oil on canvas

Canaletto Campo Sant'Angelo, Venice, 1730s The Met

The Shepherd's Song, Pierre Puvis de Chavannes, 1891, oil on canvas

Pierre Puvis de Chavannes The Shepherd's Song, 1891 The Met

The Mountain Ford, Thomas Cole, 1846, oil on canvas

Thomas Cole The Mountain Ford, 1846 The Met

Delaware Water Gap, George Inness, 1861, oil on canvas

George Inness Delaware Water Gap, 1861 The Met

Collections for a kids' room

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Nursery 77 shared
Apartment & Dorm 60 shared
Living Room 59 shared
Home Gym 56 shared

Collections for a kids' room

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Rooms that share paintings