Calming Paintings for the Kitchen

Light, softly colored paintings that lower the volume of a room. Light palettes read well under task lighting; very dark works disappear. Here are 24 paintings for the kitchen, each light in tone and soft in color, with works by Vincent van Gogh, Pierre-Auguste Renoir and Berthe Morisot.

All 143 paintings for the kitchen

Irises, Vincent van Gogh 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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24 calming paintings

Irises, Vincent van Gogh, 1890, oil on canvas

Vincent van Gogh Irises, 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

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

Pierre-Auguste Renoir Fruits of the Midi, 1881 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

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

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

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

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 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

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

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

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

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

Variations in Violet and Grey—Market Place, Dieppe, James McNeill Whistler, 1885, gouache and watercolor on off-white wove paper, mounted on academy board

James McNeill Whistler Variations in Violet and Grey—Market Place, Dieppe, 1885 The Met

Large painting of young woman in white dress sitting next to crib.

Jacques-Louis David Madame de Pastoret and Her Son, 1791–92 Art Institute of Chicago

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

Berthe Morisot Young Woman Knitting, ca. 1883 The Met

A young woman with pale, peach skin wearing a white apron over an ankle-length navy-blue dress stands in a dining room in this vertical painting. The painting is created using loose brushstrokes throughout.

Berthe Morisot In the Dining Room, 1886 National Gallery of Art

We look down onto a landscape where several laundry lines have been draped mostly with white sheets or cloth to dry in a flat, grassy yard in front of a rustic house and a distant town in this horizontal painting.

Berthe Morisot Hanging the Laundry out to Dry, 1875 National Gallery of Art

A Fisherman, Eastman Johnson, 1865, brown inks on tan-color sized canvas

Eastman Johnson A Fisherman, 1865 The Met

The painting depicts a golden, grassy landscape with low green trees in the distance, leading towards vibrant blue water on the horizon.

William Merritt Chase Gathering Autumn Flowers, 1894/1895 National Gallery of Art

The painting features a sandy shore and a calm sea with sailing boats in the distance. At the bottom of the painting, people sit on the sand by the water.

Eugène Boudin Washerwoman near Trouville, c. 1872/1876 National Gallery of Art

Joseph Rodefer DeCamp The Seamstress, 1916 National Gallery of Art

This painting shows two women seated on yellow-gold chairs in a room. The woman on the left appears young, with short brown hair and light skin.

Édouard Vuillard Women Sewing, c. 1912 National Gallery of Art

More for the kitchen

Guides

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