Tonalist Paintings for the Living Room

Here are 64 Tonalist paintings for the living room, painted between 1849 and 1915, with works by George Inness, James McNeill Whistler and Dwight William Tryon; the subjects they return to most are landscapes, and forests and trees. Above a sofa or fireplace it needs real scale, about two thirds of the furniture's width, so the famous works that suit it are landscapes, harbors, gardens and city views painted to be seen from across a room.

All 1,476 paintings for the living room

Every Tonalist painting, for any room

Nocturne: Blue and Gold—Southampton Water, James McNeill Whistler 24 × 36 in landscape print (61 × 91 cm), centered 55¼ in from the floor, 8 in above the sofa. Drawn to scale on a 12 × 8 ft wall.

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Showing 1 to 48 of 64 Tonalist paintings

A sparsely painted waterside scene in dark tones with minimal ghostly shapes suggesting ships, yellow glitches of paint for light reflections, and the orb of an orange moon overhead.

James McNeill Whistler Nocturne: Blue and Gold—Southampton Water, 1872 Art Institute of Chicago

A heronǳ silhouette sits amongst the brush in a golden hued forest.

George Inness The Home of the Heron, 1893 Art Institute of Chicago

Trouville (Grey and Green, the Silver Sea), James McNeill Whistler, 1865, oil on canvas

James McNeill Whistler Trouville (Grey and Green, the Silver Sea), 1865 Art Institute of Chicago

Grey and Silver: Old Battersea Reach, James McNeill Whistler, 1863, oil on canvas

James McNeill Whistler Grey and Silver: Old Battersea Reach, 1863 Art Institute of Chicago

We look slightly down onto and across a wide, boat-filled river under a cloudy sky at the far bank, which is lined with buildings, in this loosely painted, horizontal landscape.

James McNeill Whistler Battersea Reach, c. 1863 National Gallery of Art

The Old Mill, George Inness, 1849, oil on canvas

George Inness The Old Mill, 1849 Art Institute of Chicago

Approaching Storm from the Alban Hills, George Inness, 1871, oil on canvas

George Inness Approaching Storm from the Alban Hills, 1871 Cleveland Museum of Art

Landscape, George Inness, 1888, oil on canvas

George Inness Landscape, 1888 Cleveland Museum of Art

The Wheat Field, George Inness, c. 1875–77, oil on canvas

George Inness The Wheat Field, c. 1875–77 Cleveland Museum of Art

Autumn Meadows, George Inness, 1869, oil on canvas

George Inness Autumn Meadows, 1869 The Met

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

George Inness Delaware Water Gap, 1861 The Met

Peace and Plenty, George Inness, 1865, oil on canvas

George Inness Peace and Plenty, 1865 The Met

Pine Grove of the Barberini Villa, George Inness, 1876, oil on canvas

George Inness Pine Grove of the Barberini Villa, 1876 The Met

Spring Blossoms, Montclair, New Jersey, George Inness, ca. 1891, oil and crayon or charcoal on canvas

George Inness Spring Blossoms, Montclair, New Jersey, ca. 1891 The Met

Sunrise, George Inness, 1887, oil on canvas

George Inness Sunrise, 1887 The Met

Dawn—Early Spring, Dwight William Tryon, 1894, oil on wood

Dwight William Tryon Dawn—Early Spring, 1894 The Met

Moonlight, Dwight William Tryon, 1887, oil on wood

Dwight William Tryon Moonlight, 1887 The Met

Moonrise at Sunset, Dwight William Tryon, 1890, oil on wood

Dwight William Tryon Moonrise at Sunset, 1890 The Met

This painting depicts a vast countryside from an elevated point of view. At the bottom of the painting is a wide brown and green field that appears to be growing wheat or a similar crop.

George Inness Harvest Scene in the Delaware Valley, 1867 National Gallery of Art

This painting depicts a rural landscape with a shepherdess tending to a flock of sheep on a tree-lined dirt path. She is facing away from us and wears a blue skirt with a white shirt and a white bonnet covering her hair.

George Inness Hillside at Étretat, 1876 National Gallery of Art

The painting displays a dark green field stretching into the distance. A line of trees and small, indistinct structures can be seen near the center of the painting.

George Inness Harvest Moon, 1891 National Gallery of Art

We look across and down into a valley with a person sitting near a tall tree and a train puffing smoke beyond, all enclosed by a band of mountains in the distance in this horizontal landscape painting.

George Inness The Lackawanna Valley, c. 1856 National Gallery of Art

The painting depicts a view overlooking a valley with a river in the distance. The almost-cloudless sky is painted in shades of light blue with faint pink near the horizon.

George Inness View of the Tiber near Perugia, 1872-1874 National Gallery of Art

Summer, Thomas Wilmer Dewing, ca. 1890, oil on canvas

Thomas Wilmer Dewing Summer, ca. 1890 Smithsonian American Art Museum

Niagara, George Inness, 1889, oil on canvas

George Inness Niagara, 1889 Smithsonian American Art Museum

November, Dwight William Tryon, 1904-1905, oil on wood

Dwight William Tryon November, 1904-1905 Smithsonian American Art Museum

Spring, Thomas Wilmer Dewing, 1890, oil on canvas

Thomas Wilmer Dewing Spring, 1890 Smithsonian American Art Museum

In the Garden, Thomas Wilmer Dewing, 1892-1894, oil on canvas

Thomas Wilmer Dewing In the Garden, 1892-1894 Smithsonian American Art Museum

The Hermit Thrush, Thomas Wilmer Dewing, 1890, oil on canvas

Thomas Wilmer Dewing The Hermit Thrush, 1890 Smithsonian American Art Museum

Niagara Falls, George Inness, 1885, oil on wood

George Inness Niagara Falls, 1885 Smithsonian American Art Museum

Midsummer Moonrise, Dwight William Tryon, 1892, oil on wood

Dwight William Tryon Midsummer Moonrise, 1892 Smithsonian American Art Museum

Brooklyn Bridge, Henry Ward Ranger, 1899, oil on canvas

Henry Ward Ranger Brooklyn Bridge, 1899 Art Institute of Chicago

This painting shows a slightly elevated viewpoint looking out across a green landscape towards a reflective body of water. In the green sky, the pale-yellow moon glows brightly, illuminating the scene.

Ralph Albert Blakelock Moonlight, 1886/1895 National Gallery of Art

This painting depicts a sunlit forest with densely packed trees. Sunlight filters through the leaves, casting a warm glow and illuminating shades of green with hints of yellow and gold.

Henry Ward Ranger Spring Woods, c. 1910 National Gallery of Art

The Path to the Village, J. Francis Murphy, 1882, oil on canvas

J. Francis Murphy The Path to the Village, 1882 Smithsonian American Art Museum

Bradbury's Mill Pond, no. 2, Henry Ward Ranger, 1903, oil on canvas

Henry Ward Ranger Bradbury's Mill Pond, no. 2, 1903 Smithsonian American Art Museum

Moonlight, Indian Encampment, Ralph Albert Blakelock, 1885-1889, oil on canvas

Ralph Albert Blakelock Moonlight, Indian Encampment, 1885-1889 Smithsonian American Art Museum

The Sprout Lot, J. Francis Murphy, 1915, oil on canvas

J. Francis Murphy The Sprout Lot, 1915 Smithsonian American Art Museum

The Fall Season, Bruce Crane, oil on canvas

Bruce Crane The Fall Season, Smithsonian American Art Museum

Sunset, Navarro Ridge, California Coast, Ralph Albert Blakelock, ca. 1870-1879, oil on canvas

Ralph Albert Blakelock Sunset, Navarro Ridge, California Coast, ca. 1870-1879 Smithsonian American Art Museum

Violet and Silver—The Deep Sea, James McNeill Whistler, 1893, oil on canvas

James McNeill Whistler Violet and Silver—The Deep Sea, 1893 Art Institute of Chicago

Cremorne Gardens, No. 2, James McNeill Whistler, ca. 1870–80, oil on canvas

James McNeill Whistler Cremorne Gardens, No. 2, ca. 1870–80 The Met

Landscape, George Inness, c. 1852, oil on canvas

George Inness Landscape, c. 1852 National Gallery of Art

Sundown, George Inness, 1884, oil on canvas

George Inness Sundown, 1884 Smithsonian American Art Museum

Evening at Medfield, Massachusetts, George Inness, 1875, oil on canvas

George Inness Evening at Medfield, Massachusetts, 1875 The Met

Connecticut Woods, Henry Ward Ranger, 1899, oil on canvas

Henry Ward Ranger Connecticut Woods, 1899 Smithsonian American Art Museum

A shaft of warm light from our left pierces a dark wood filled with tall trees in this horizontal landscape painting. The light falls on a stout white trunk and a portion of the moss-green forest floor near the center of the composition.

George Inness Sunset in the Woods, 1891 National Gallery of Art

Across the Campagna, George Inness, 1872, watercolor, gouache, and graphite on off-white wove paper

Tonalist Paintings for the Living Room

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