Kitchen Paintings: Bright Still Lifes of Fruit, Flowers and Bread

Bright, small and cheerful: fruit, vegetables, bread and the cooks who handled them.

Kitchen walls are short, busy and often warm from the stove, so the right painting is small, bright and easy to live with. Still lifes of fruit, vegetables, bread and copper pots are the natural fit, along with kitchen interiors and cooks at work from the Dutch and French traditions. Light palettes read well under task lighting; very dark works disappear. Print at 8×10 to 16×20 in (20×25 to 40×50 cm) and frame behind glass or acrylic so steam and splashes wipe off. A row of three small still lifes above a counter reads as one long piece.

The Basket of Apples, Paul Cézanne 16 × 20 in landscape print (41 × 51 cm), centered 47¼ in from the floor, 8 in above the console table. Drawn to scale on a 12 × 8 ft wall.

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Showing 1 to 48 of 143 paintings

Painting of a basket of green and red-yellow apples spilling over into a white cloth placed on a wooden table, with a dark green bottle and a plate of pale biscuits behind.

Paul Cézanne The Basket of Apples, c. 1893 Art Institute of Chicago

Irises, Vincent van Gogh, 1890, oil on canvas

Vincent van Gogh Irises, 1890 The Met

Still Life with Apples and a Pot of Primroses, Paul Cézanne, ca. 1890, oil on canvas

Paul Cézanne Still Life with Apples and a Pot of Primroses, ca. 1890 The Met

Nocturne, John La Farge, ca. 1885, watercolor, gouache, and charcoal on off-white wove paper adhered to wove paper

John La Farge Nocturne, ca. 1885 The Met

A young girl with medium skin wears a striking dress of black and white stripes with a short lace collar. Behind her is backdrop featuring symbols and native figures. Mangos sit beside her.

Paul Gauguin Merahi metua no Tehamana (Tehamana Has Many Parents or The Ancestors of Tehamana), 1893 Art Institute of Chicago

The Harvesters, Pieter Bruegel the Elder, 1565, oil on oak

Pieter Bruegel the Elder The Harvesters, 1565 The Met

Still life of geranium plant, fruit, water pitcher, and two cats.

Henri Matisse Still Life with Geranium, 1906 Art Institute of Chicago

A young woman in a dark hat and coat with light ruffled collar sits reading a large periodical held up in her gloved hands. Flowers and foliage are suggested behind her.

Édouard Manet Woman Reading, 1880–82 Art Institute of Chicago

Still Life—Violin and Music, William Michael Harnett, 1888, oil on canvas

William Michael Harnett Still Life—Violin and Music, 1888 The Met

Emma Van Name, Joshua Johnson, ca. 1805, oil on canvasPainting

Joshua Johnson Emma Van Name, ca. 1805 The Met

A Woman Seated beside a Vase of Flowers (Madame Paul Valpinçon?), Edgar Degas, 1865, oil on canvas

Edgar Degas A Woman Seated beside a Vase of Flowers (Madame Paul Valpinçon?), 1865 The Met

The Vase of Tulips, Paul Cézanne, c. 1890, oil on canvas

Paul Cézanne The Vase of Tulips, c. 1890 Art Institute of Chicago

Still Life: Wood Tankard and Metal Pitcher, Paul Gauguin, 1880, oil on linen canvas

Paul Gauguin Still Life: Wood Tankard and Metal Pitcher, 1880 Art Institute of Chicago

Apples and grapes rest in a shallow wicker basket on a table covered with a light-colored cloth. Additional fruit is scattered on the table.

Claude Monet Apples and Grapes, 1880 Art Institute of Chicago

Orange, yellow, and white flowers in a brown vase on a round table, with a blue-green floral tablecloth and mottled, brownish background.

Pierre-Auguste Renoir Chrysanthemums, 1881–82 Art Institute of Chicago

Fruits of the Midi, Pierre-Auguste Renoir, 1881, oil on canvas

Pierre-Auguste Renoir Fruits of the Midi, 1881 Art Institute of Chicago

Are They Thinking about the Grape? (Pensent-ils au raisin?), François Boucher, 1747, oil on canvas

François Boucher Are They Thinking about the Grape? (Pensent-ils au raisin?), 1747 Art Institute of Chicago

Grapes, Lemons, Pears, and Apples, Vincent van Gogh, 1887, oil on canvas

Vincent van Gogh Grapes, Lemons, Pears, and Apples, 1887 Art Institute of Chicago

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

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

Painting of three male figures, two older men in top hats and a younger man with red hair, standing outdoors around a wooden table with a pitcher on it, drinking from glasses.

Vincent van Gogh The Drinkers, 1890 Art Institute of Chicago

Lunch at the Restaurant Fournaise (The Rowers' Lunch), Pierre-Auguste Renoir, 1875, oil on canvas

Pierre-Auguste Renoir Lunch at the Restaurant Fournaise (The Rowers' Lunch), 1875 Art Institute of Chicago

Oleanders, Vincent van Gogh, 1888, oil on canvas

Vincent van Gogh Oleanders, 1888 The Met

Shoes, Vincent van Gogh, 1888, oil on canvas

Vincent van Gogh Shoes, 1888 The Met

Roses, Vincent van Gogh, 1890, oil on canvas

Vincent van Gogh Roses, 1890 The Met

Still Life with Apples and Pitcher, Camille Pissarro, 1872, oil on canvas

Camille Pissarro Still Life with Apples and Pitcher, 1872 The Met

Still Life with Peaches and Grapes, Pierre-Auguste Renoir, 1881, oil on canvas

Pierre-Auguste Renoir Still Life with Peaches and Grapes, 1881 The Met

Nine oranges and lemons sit in a shallow basket with dark green, spiky branches behind and a pair of cobalt-blue gloves in front in this horizontal still life painting.

Vincent van Gogh Still Life of Oranges and Lemons with Blue Gloves, 1889 National Gallery of Art

Rose and coral pink, vivid white, delphinium blue, and buttercup yellow flowers with deep green leaves are arranged in a blue and white vase in front of a pale sea-green background in this vertical still life painting.

Paul Cézanne Flowers in a Rococo Vase, c. 1876 National Gallery of Art

A cloud of canary-yellow flowers with pumpkin-orange centers on tall stems with emerald and pine-green leaves fills the top half of this vertical still life painting.

Claude Monet Jerusalem Artichoke Flowers, 1880 National Gallery of Art

A bouquet of cut flowers in a clear glass vase nearly fills this vertical painting. The vase has straight sides and the rounded bottom is supported by short, round feet.

Édouard Manet Flowers in a Crystal Vase, c. 1882 National Gallery of Art

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

We look down onto nine pieces of fruit, a pitcher, a goblet, and a dish arranged on a rustic wood table in front of a floral curtain in this nearly square, loosely painted still life.

Paul Cézanne Still Life with Milk Jug and Fruit, c. 1900 National Gallery of Art

A profusion of white roses bursting from the neck of a tan jug almost fills the height of this horizontal still life painting.

Vincent van Gogh Roses, 1890 National Gallery of Art

Four flowers and greenery create a loose bouquet in a clear glass in this vertical still life, which is painted with visible brushstrokes throughout. The glass has a tall, narrow, rounded bowl on a flaring foot like a drinking glass.

Berthe Morisot Peonies, c. 1869 National Gallery of Art

About a dozen ruby-red and bright pink peonies in a gold and green vase sit on a rumpled cloth in this loosely painted, horizontal still life.

Paul Gauguin Still Life with Peonies, 1884 National Gallery of Art

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

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

Autumn Landscape, Sugar Loaf Mountain, Orange County, New York, Jasper Francis Cropsey, ca. 1870–75, oil on canvas

Jasper Francis Cropsey Autumn Landscape, Sugar Loaf Mountain, Orange County, New York, ca. 1870–75 The Met

Vase of Flowers (Pink Background), Odilon Redon, ca. 1906, oil on canvas

Odilon Redon Vase of Flowers (Pink Background), ca. 1906 The Met

Roses and Lilies, Henri Fantin-Latour, 1888, oil on canvas

Henri Fantin-Latour Roses and Lilies, 1888 The Met

Three Pears and an Apple, Eastman Johnson, 1857, oil on board

Eastman Johnson Three Pears and an Apple, 1857 National Gallery of Art

We look down at the end of a narrow table at a white plate, pot, knife, and spoon set on the white tablecloth in this horizontal still life painting.

Henri Fantin-Latour Still Life with Mustard Pot, 1860 National Gallery of Art

We look slightly down onto a wooden table or buffet with a basket of fruit, a vase of pink and white flowers, a book, and a small tray holding a teacup, saucer, and two oranges in this horizontal still life painting.

Henri Fantin-Latour Still Life, 1866 National Gallery of Art

The painting shows a large bronze vase filled with a bouquet of wildflowers, including white daisies, light blue cornflowers, and bright red poppies and roses.

Odilon Redon Flowers in a Vase, c. 1910 National Gallery of Art

This painting shows a person seated at a table in a bright yellow chair, facing the right. The person has pale skin and gray hair, and they are wearing a loose-fitting light brown garment, similar to a long coat or dress.

Édouard Vuillard Breakfast, 1894 National Gallery of Art

This painting shows a brown jug filled with pink roses and green leaves on a brown surface that looks like a suitcase on its side. To the right of the jug are some stacked books, which are a light green color.

Édouard Vuillard The Artist's Paint Box and Moss Roses, 1898 National Gallery of Art

This painting shows a partial view of a dark wooden mantle. The mantle itself takes up the bottom right corner of the painting, and we see one side of it, but not the other.

Édouard Vuillard Vase of Flowers on a Mantelpiece, c. 1900 National Gallery of Art

In the center of this painting is a blue vase filled with a variety of flowers in different sizes and colors. The flowers are in shades of orange, pink, yellow, and blue, with green leaves surrounding the blossoms.

Odilon Redon Large Vase with Flowers, c. 1912 National Gallery of Art

Cylindrical, C-shaped, and triangular forms are painted with flat areas of vivid pink, purple, navy, royal, and light blue, turquoise, white, black, and gray in this abstract, horizontal painting.

Patrick Henry Bruce Peinture/Nature Morte, c. 1924 National Gallery of Art

Collections for the kitchen

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Dining Room 132 shared
Apartment & Dorm 47 shared
Guest Room 43 shared
Laundry Room 36 shared

Collections for the kitchen

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Rooms that share paintings