Realist Paintings for the Staircase

Here are 70 Realist paintings for the staircase, painted between 1808 and 1919, with works by Thomas Eakins, Gustave Courbet and Jean-François Millet; the subject they return to most is portraits. The stairwell is the one place where paintings should not hang level with each other.

All 830 paintings for the staircase

Every Realist painting, for any room

Portrait of Mary Adeline Williams, Thomas Eakins 16 × 20 in portrait print (41 × 51 cm), centered 58 in above the stair line. Drawn to scale on a 12 × 8 ft wall.

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Showing 1 to 48 of 70 Realist paintings

Dark portrait of an older light-skinned women with dark hair in a black dress and white collar, her hair pinned up. Her face is in partial shadow.

Thomas Eakins Portrait of Mary Adeline Williams, 1899 Art Institute of Chicago

Dark portrait of older woman in black dress with lace collar, flowers.

Gustave Courbet Mère Grégoire, 1855, reworked 1857–59 Art Institute of Chicago

Opulently dressed light-skinned man and woman drink at a small table. A mirror behind them reflects a crowd. Her blue dress and dark hat dominate.

William Glackens At Mouquin's, 1905 Art Institute of Chicago

The Two Disciples at the Tomb, Henry Ossawa Tanner, c. 1906, oil on canvas

Henry Ossawa Tanner The Two Disciples at the Tomb, c. 1906 Art Institute of Chicago

In a beige room, a group of light-skinned men of various ages and a young boy clap as a figure in tattered clothing at center, his back to the viewer, dances and holds a tin cup in the air.

William Sidney Mount Bar-room Scene, 1835 Art Institute of Chicago

Mrs. Charles Gifford Dyer (Mary Anthony), John Singer Sargent, 1880, oil on canvas

John Singer Sargent Mrs. Charles Gifford Dyer (Mary Anthony), 1880 Art Institute of Chicago

Mrs. Charles Deering (Marion Denison Whipple), John Singer Sargent, 1888, oil on canvas

John Singer Sargent Mrs. Charles Deering (Marion Denison Whipple), 1888 Art Institute of Chicago

Study for "William Rush Carving His Allegorical Figure of the Schuylkill River", Thomas Eakins, 1876–77, oil on canvas mounted on board

Thomas Eakins Study for "William Rush Carving His Allegorical Figure of the Schuylkill River", 1876–77 Art Institute of Chicago

Mme L . . . (Laure Borreau), Gustave Courbet, 1863, oil on fabric

Gustave Courbet Mme L . . . (Laure Borreau), 1863 Cleveland Museum of Art

Monsieur Martin, Jean-François Millet, 1840, oil on fabric

Jean-François Millet Monsieur Martin, 1840 Cleveland Museum of Art

The Artist's Wife and His Setter Dog, Thomas Eakins, ca. 1884–89, oil on canvas

Thomas Eakins The Artist's Wife and His Setter Dog, ca. 1884–89 The Met

Carmelita Requena, Thomas Eakins, 1869, oil on canvas

Thomas Eakins Carmelita Requena, 1869 The Met

James MacAlister (Sketch), Thomas Eakins, ca. 1895, oil on canvas

Thomas Eakins James MacAlister (Sketch), ca. 1895 The Met

Mrs. Mary Arthur, Thomas Eakins, 1900, oil on canvas

Thomas Eakins Mrs. Mary Arthur, 1900 The Met

Signora Gomez d'Arza, Thomas Eakins, 1901–2, oil on canvas

Thomas Eakins Signora Gomez d'Arza, 1901–2 The Met

Madame Frederic Breyer (Fanny Hélène Van Bruyssel, 1830–1894), Gustave Courbet, 1858, oil on canvas

Gustave Courbet Madame Frederic Breyer (Fanny Hélène Van Bruyssel, 1830–1894), 1858 The Met

Monsieur Suisse, Gustave Courbet, 1861, oil on canvas

Gustave Courbet Monsieur Suisse, 1861 The Met

Portrait of a Man, Gustave Courbet, probably ca. 1862, oil on canvas

Gustave Courbet Portrait of a Man, probably ca. 1862 The Met

Annie C. Lochrey Husson (Mrs. Louis Husson), Thomas Eakins, c. 1905, oil on canvas

Thomas Eakins Annie C. Lochrey Husson (Mrs. Louis Husson), c. 1905 National Gallery of Art

Shown from the waist up, a pale-skinned man with a mustache stands with one hand on his hip and the other hand held up in this dark-toned, vertical portrait painting.

James McNeill Whistler Gold and Brown: Self-Portrait, c. 1896-1898 National Gallery of Art

Portrait of a Man, Jean-François Millet, c. 1845, oil on canvas

Jean-François Millet Portrait of a Man, c. 1845 National Gallery of Art

This painting depicts the upper half of a person's body. Their body is facing us, but their head is turned to the right in a three-quarters view, looking away from us.

Gustave Courbet Portrait of a Young Girl, 1857 National Gallery of Art

This painting is a portrait of a person with dark hair styled neatly in an updo with soft waves over their forehead.

Thomas Eakins Harriet Husson Carville (Mrs. James G. Carville), 1904 National Gallery of Art

Mother (Annie Williams Gandy), Thomas Eakins, ca. 1903, oil on canvas

Thomas Eakins Mother (Annie Williams Gandy), ca. 1903 Smithsonian American Art Museum

Herself, Robert Henri, 1913, oil on canvas

Robert Henri Herself, 1913 Art Institute of Chicago

Himself, Robert Henri, 1913, oil on canvas

Robert Henri Himself, 1913 Art Institute of Chicago

Portrait of Franklin H. Delano, Eastman Johnson, c. 1881, oil on board

Eastman Johnson Portrait of Franklin H. Delano, c. 1881 Cleveland Museum of Art

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

Eastman Johnson A Fisherman, 1865 The Met

Sanford Robinson Gifford, Eastman Johnson, 1880, oil on academy board

Eastman Johnson Sanford Robinson Gifford, 1880 The Met

Catherine Brooks Hall, William Sidney Mount, ca. 1830, oil on canvas

William Sidney Mount Catherine Brooks Hall, ca. 1830 The Met

Gideon Tucker, William Sidney Mount, 1830, oil on canvas

William Sidney Mount Gideon Tucker, 1830 The Met

Great-Grand-Father's Tale of the Revolution—A Portrait of Reverend Zachariah Greene, William Sidney Mount, 1852, oil on canvas

William Sidney Mount Great-Grand-Father's Tale of the Revolution—A Portrait of Reverend Zachariah Greene, 1852 The Met

Martin Euclid Thompson, William Sidney Mount, 1830, oil on canvas

William Sidney Mount Martin Euclid Thompson, 1830 The Met

Mrs. Gideon Tucker, William Sidney Mount, 1830, oil on canvas

William Sidney Mount Mrs. Gideon Tucker, 1830 The Met

Charlotte Morton Dexter (Mrs. Andrew Dexter), Gilbert Stuart, 1808/c. 1825, oil on wood

Gilbert Stuart Charlotte Morton Dexter (Mrs. Andrew Dexter), 1808/c. 1825 National Gallery of Art

This painting shows the upper body of a woman seated in a chair. She is wearing a white bonnet with ruffled edges, covering her wavy, light brown hair. Her facial features include fair skin, thin lips, a long nose, and a pointed chin.

Gilbert Stuart Sarah Homes Tappan (Mrs. Benjamin Tappan), 1814 National Gallery of Art

This painting is a portrait of a seated woman shown from the knees upwards. She is seated in a woven yellow armchair, with her right arm resting on one arm of the chair, while her left hand rests on her lap.

George Bellows Florence Sittenham Davey (Mrs. Randall Davey), 1914 National Gallery of Art

The painting is of an older woman from the waist up, her body slightly turned to the left and her head facing us. She has pale skin with soft lines, rosy cheeks, deep-set eyes, thin eyebrows, and thin red lips in a neutral expression.

Robert Henri Elizabeth Virginia Laning Bradner Smith (Mrs. George Cotton Smith), 1908 National Gallery of Art

Portrait of Mrs. Eastman Johnson, Eastman Johnson, ca. 1888, oil on canvas

Eastman Johnson Portrait of Mrs. Eastman Johnson, ca. 1888 Smithsonian American Art Museum

Madame Paul Escudier (Louise Lefevre), John Singer Sargent, 1882, oil on canvas

John Singer Sargent Madame Paul Escudier (Louise Lefevre), 1882 Art Institute of Chicago

After the Bullfight, Mary Cassatt, 1873, oil on canvas

Mary Cassatt After the Bullfight, 1873 Art Institute of Chicago

Alphonse Promayet (1822–1872), Gustave Courbet, 1851, oil on canvas

Gustave Courbet Alphonse Promayet (1822–1872), 1851 The Met

Louis Gueymard (1822–1880) as Robert le Diable, Gustave Courbet, 1857, oil on canvas

Gustave Courbet Louis Gueymard (1822–1880) as Robert le Diable, 1857 The Met

Madame Auguste Cuoq (Mathilde Desportes, 1827–1910), Gustave Courbet, ca. 1852–57, oil on canvas

Gustave Courbet Madame Auguste Cuoq (Mathilde Desportes, 1827–1910), ca. 1852–57 The Met

Woman in a Riding Habit (L'Amazone), Gustave Courbet, ca. 1855–59, oil on canvas

Gustave Courbet Woman in a Riding Habit (L'Amazone), ca. 1855–59 The Met

This painting shows a seated woman from the waist up. Her body faces us, and she looks off to the right with a neutral expression. She has light skin, brown eyes, and rosy cheeks.

George Bellows Maud Murray Dale (Mrs. Chester Dale), 1919 National Gallery of Art

Beggar with Oysters (Philosopher), Édouard Manet, 1865–67, oil on canvas

Édouard Manet Beggar with Oysters (Philosopher), 1865–67 Art Institute of Chicago

Mrs. George Swinton (Elizabeth Ebsworth), John Singer Sargent, 1897, oil on canvas

John Singer Sargent Mrs. George Swinton (Elizabeth Ebsworth), 1897 Art Institute of Chicago

More for the staircase

Other styles for the staircase

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Hallway & Entryway 526 shared
Apartment & Dorm 518 shared
Dining Room 129 shared
Guest Room 93 shared

More for the staircase

Other styles for the staircase

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Rooms that share paintings