What art goes with green walls? 12 paintings that work
Red and pink sit opposite green on the colour wheel, and gold warms it from within. Twelve paintings, from Saint George to Utamaro, that glow on a green wall.
Green walls are back: sage in kitchens, olive in living rooms, forest and bottle green in studies and dining rooms. The question is what to hang on them. Colour theory has the answer. Red and pink sit opposite green on the colour wheel, so they glow against it; gold and ochre warm it up.
Here are twelve paintings chosen for green rooms, in three groups: crimson and vermilion, rose and coral, and gold and ochre.
Crimson and vermilion
Bold reds that glow on deep green walls.
1. The Miracle of Saint George and the Dragon
Novgorod school, The Miracle of Saint George and the Dragon, 15th century. Tempera on panel. State Russian Museum, Saint Petersburg.
This icon was painted in Novgorod in the 15th century, when its painters were known for blazing red grounds like this one.
Vermilion and white: fearless on bottle green.
2. The Poet's Companion
Persian painter, The Poet's Companion, dated 741 AH/1341 CE. Ink, opaque watercolor, and gold on paper. The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York.
This page comes from an anthology of Persian poems copied in 1341, one of the oldest dated illustrated Persian manuscripts.
Brick red and olive: a natural partner for green.
3. Holy Face
Gerard David, Holy Face, ca. 1485–90. Tempera and gold leaf on parchment that has been trimmed and laid down on thin walnut. The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York.
Gerard David painted this small devotional image in Bruges around 1485–90, in tempera and gold leaf on parchment.
Deep red and dark navy for a forest green study.
4. Altarpiece, No. 2
Hilma af Klint, Altarpiece, No. 2, 1915. Oil and metal leaf on canvas. Hilma af Klint Foundation, Stockholm.
Hilma af Klint painted three Altarpieces in 1915 to close her great series The Paintings for the Temple.
Crimson, gold and blush on a dark green wall.
Rose and coral
Soft pinks for sage and mint walls.
5. Rêverie (Portrait of Gabrielle Borreau)
Gustave Courbet, Rêverie (Portrait of Gabrielle Borreau), 1862. Oil on paper, mounted on canvas. Art Institute of Chicago.
Gustave Courbet painted Gabrielle Borreau in 1862, during a long stay in the Saintonge.
Rose, peach and moss.
6. The Priest and the Playful Spirits
Murataya Jirobei Kitagawa Utamaro , The Priest and the Playful Spirits, c. 1802 (Kyōwa 2). Woodblock print (nishiki-e); ink and color on paper. Harvard Art Museums.
Kitagawa Utamaro made this print around 1802, a playful take on the old Chinese tale of the Three Laughers.
Coral, cream and charcoal.
7. Woman Playing Shamisen
Suzuki Harunobu, Woman Playing Shamisen, Edo period, circa 1765-1770. Ukiyo-e woodblock print in "chūban" format; ink and color on paper. Harvard Art Museums.
Suzuki Harunobu made this print around 1765–70; his slender, graceful women defined a whole era of Japanese prints.
Coral and parchment with a touch of gold.
8. Summer Patterns
Kitagawa Utamaro, Summer Patterns, c. 1804-06 (Bunka 1-3). Woodblock print; ink and color on paper. Harvard Art Museums.
Utamaro made this print around 1804–06 to show off the kimono patterns of the Izugura fabric shop.
Blush, terracotta and slate.
Gold and ochre
Warm golds for olive and forest green rooms.
9. Pallas Athena and the Herdsman's Dogs
Briton Rivière, Pallas Athena and the Herdsman's Dogs, 1876. Oil on canvas. The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York.
Briton Rivière, the great Victorian painter of dogs, took this scene from the Odyssey in 1876.
Straw gold and cream: lovely on olive green.
10. Tabley, the Seat of Sir J. F. Leicester: Calm Morning
J. M. W. Turner, Tabley, the Seat of Sir J. F. Leicester: Calm Morning, 1809. Oil on canvas. Tate.
J. M. W. Turner painted Sir John Leicester’s lake at Tabley in Cheshire in 1809.
Honey gold and soft brown.
11. Hunting with falcons in a landscape (recto)
Abd al-Samad, Hunting with falcons in a landscape (recto), c. 1558–60; borders added probably 1700s. Gum tempera, ink, and gold on paper. Cleveland Museum of Art.
Abd al-Samad came from Persia to the Mughal court and taught the young emperor Akbar to paint; he made this around 1558–60.
Gold leaf and ochre with jewel accents.
12. The actor Ichikawa Danjuro VI as Fuwa no Bansaku
Toshusai Sharaku, The actor Ichikawa Danjuro VI as Fuwa no Bansaku, 1794. Color woodblock print; hosoban. Art Institute of Chicago.
Toshusai Sharaku made all of his famous actor prints in about ten months in 1794–95, then vanished.
Antique gold and ink brown.
On pale sage and mint, choose soft rose, coral and honey pictures; on olive, forest and bottle green, go bold with crimson and gold. Gold and brass frames suit every green. For more, see green wall art, colours that go with sage green and emerald green decor.
Questions
What colour art goes with green walls?
Reds, pinks and corals, which sit opposite green on the colour wheel, and golds and ochres, which warm it.
What art goes with dark green walls?
Bold, warm pictures with crimson, gold or candlelight, in gold or brass frames.
What art goes with sage green walls?
Soft rose, blush, cream and honey pictures, or gentle landscapes with matching greens.
What frames go with green walls?
Gold and brass are the classic choice; dark wood suits olive and forest green; white keeps mint fresh.