Calming Paintings for the Staircase

Light, softly colored paintings that lower the volume of a room. The stairwell is the one place where paintings should not hang level with each other. Here are 24 paintings for the staircase, each light in tone and soft in color, with works by Pierre-Auguste Renoir, Julian Alden Weir and Vincent van Gogh.

All 606 paintings for the staircase

Self-Portrait with a Straw Hat (obverse: The Potato Peeler), Vincent van Gogh 18 × 24 in portrait print (46 × 61 cm), centered 58 in above the stair line. Drawn to scale on a 12 × 8 ft wall.

Try your wall color

Default greige

24 calming paintings

Self-Portrait with a Straw Hat (obverse: The Potato Peeler), Vincent van Gogh, 1887, oil on canvas

Vincent van Gogh Self-Portrait with a Straw Hat (obverse: The Potato Peeler), 1887 The Met

Mäda Primavesi (1903–2000), Gustav Klimt, 1912–13, oil on canvas

Gustav Klimt Mäda Primavesi (1903–2000), 1912–13 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

Two girls in acrobatic uniforms stand in an arena, one holds oranges.

Pierre-Auguste Renoir Acrobats at the Cirque Fernando (Francisca and Angelina Wartenberg), 1879 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

From low on a hillside, we look up at a light-skinned woman and boy standing in tall grass against a sunny blue sky in this vertical painting.

Claude Monet Woman with a Parasol - Madame Monet and Her Son, 1875 National Gallery of Art

Portrait after a Costume Ball (Portrait of Madame Dietz-Monnin), Edgar Degas, 1879, distemper, metallic paint, and pastel, on canvas

Edgar Degas Portrait after a Costume Ball (Portrait of Madame Dietz-Monnin), 1879 Art Institute of Chicago

The Streetwalker, Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec, ca. 1890–91, oil on cardboard

Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec The Streetwalker, ca. 1890–91 The Met

Shown from the hips up, a pale-skinned young woman wearing a white dress sits smiling gently at us in this vertical portrait painting. Blended strokes of pearl white, cool green, and muted blue create an overall soft, almost blurred look.

Pierre-Auguste Renoir Madame Henriot, c. 1876 National Gallery of Art

Shown from about the knees up, a young woman sits in a chair angled to our right but she turns her face to look at us in this loosely painted, vertical portrait.

Vincent van Gogh La Mousmé, 1888 National Gallery of Art

Child with Brown Hair, Pierre-Auguste Renoir, 1887/1888, oil on canvas

Pierre-Auguste Renoir Child with Brown Hair, 1887/1888 National Gallery of Art

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

Eastman Johnson A Fisherman, 1865 The Met

Sketch for The Copley Family, John Singleton Copley, 1776, oil on canvas

John Singleton Copley Sketch for The Copley Family, 1776 National Gallery of Art

A young woman with pale, peachy skin, wearing a long, silvery blue dress with a rose-pink train looks out at us in this vertical portrait painting.

John Singer Sargent Miss Mathilde Townsend, 1907 National Gallery of Art

Shown from the knees up, a young woman with pale skin and flushed cheeks looks at us, wearing a long, shimmering white dress partially draped with powder-blue fabric in this vertical portrait painting.

John Singer Sargent Mary Crowninshield Endicott Chamberlain (Mrs. Joseph Chamberlain), 1902 National Gallery of Art

George Moore (1852–1933) at the Café, Édouard Manet, 1878 or 1879, oil on canvas

Édouard Manet George Moore (1852–1933) at the Café, 1878 or 1879 The Met

Shown from about the ankles up, a woman with ashen, pale skin, wearing a full, silvery-white dress with gray dots, sits on a low-backed white sofa against a pale peach background in this horizontal portrait painting.

Edgar Degas Madame René de Gas, 1872/1873 National Gallery of Art

We look slightly down onto a woman and a young boy, both with pale skin, sitting together on a grassy lawn with a chicken standing nearby in this horizontal painting. The scene is loosely painted with visible brushstrokes throughout.

Pierre-Auguste Renoir Madame Monet and Her Son, 1874 National Gallery of Art

Idle Hours, Julian Alden Weir, 1888, oil on canvas

Julian Alden Weir Idle Hours, 1888 The Met

Seven people with cream-white skin crowd together, sitting at or standing among tables in an interior space in this vertical painting. The composition is dominated by shades of blue and pale green.

Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec A Corner of the Moulin de la Galette, 1892 National Gallery of Art

Connecticut Village (Going to School), Julian Alden Weir, after 1891, oil on canvas

Julian Alden Weir Connecticut Village (Going to School), after 1891 The Met

This painting depicts buildings under a clear blue sky. The horizon line is low, mostly obscured by the structures. The buildings have pointed brown roofs, and they are a pale yellow color.

Charles-François Daubigny The Farm, 1855 National Gallery of Art

This painting depicts a view from an elevated position. The horizon is in the center of the painting, where the blue sky meets distant green hills.

Julian Alden Weir U.S. Thread Company Mills, Willimantic, Connecticut, c. 1893/1897 National Gallery of Art

Cows, horses, sheep, and pigs stand closely together in a band across the bottom edge of this horizontal painting. Rolling hills open onto grassy lawns, farms, and fields beyond.

Edward Hicks The Cornell Farm, 1848 National Gallery of Art

More for the staircase

Guides

Hallway & Entryway 366 shared
Apartment & Dorm 360 shared
Guest Room 75 shared
Dining Room 71 shared

More for the staircase

Guides

Rooms that share paintings