Colours that go with sage green, taken from 12 paintings

Böcklin’s overgrown gardens, Moreau’s poets, Jan Both’s golden afternoons and Harunobu’s calendar print: twelve sage-toned paintings and the colours they pair with it.

Sage green is the soft, grey green of the herb: calm, muted and endlessly easy to live with. The question is always what to put with it. Painters answered that long ago. Sage is everywhere in old landscapes, and each picture shows the colours that make it sing.

Here are twelve sage-toned paintings, in three pairings: sage with cream and rose, sage with gold and ochre, and sage with stone and slate. Each is shown with its colour palette, so you can lift the scheme straight from the picture.

Sage with cream and rose

The softest pairing of all.

1. Venus Abandoned

A stone statue of Venus is half hidden by sage foliage and pale climbing roses.

Arnold Böcklin, Venus Abandoned, c 1860.

Arnold Böcklin painted this forgotten statue of Venus in an overgrown garden around 1860, with pale roses climbing over her plinth.

Sage, cream and the palest rose: a perfect bedroom scheme.

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2. Nymph in a Meadow as the Spirit of Primeval Times

A nymph rests in a wide sage green meadow under a soft overcast sky.

Arnold Böcklin, Nymph in a Meadow as the Spirit of Primeval Times, 1858.

Böcklin painted this nymph as the spirit of primeval times in 1858, alone in a vast, quiet meadow.

Sage, mist grey and soft peach.

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3. Courtesan with the Demon Queller

A courtesan stands beside Shōki, the demon queller, in soft sage and cream.

Suzuki Harunobu, Courtesan with the Demon Queller, Edo period, dated 1765 (Meiwa 2). Ukiyo-e woodblock print in "chūban" format; ink and color on paper. Harvard Art Museums.

Suzuki Harunobu made this calendar print in 1765, the year full colour printing was born in Japan in prints like this one. The months are hidden in the design.

Pale sage, cream and soft tan for a quiet corner.

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4. Tossing Dishes Over a Cliff

A woman on a cliff throws clay dishes, her kimono echoing the waves.

Suzuki Harunobu, Tossing Dishes Over a Cliff, c. 1766/67. Color woodblock print; chuban. Art Institute of Chicago.

Harunobu’s soft sage and moss tones show how well sage sits with a warm, earthy brown.

Sage with chocolate brown, cosy and calm.

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Sage with gold and ochre

Warm, golden pairings for living rooms.

5. A Peasant driving a laden mule

A peasant leads a laden mule along a path in a golden Italian landscape.

Jan Both, A Peasant driving a laden mule, ca. 1645. Victoria and Albert Museum, London.

Jan Both brought the golden light of Italy home to Utrecht in the 1640s and painted it again and again.

Sage and honey gold for a warm living room.

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6. The Cascades at Tivoli, with a Storm Approaching

The waterfalls of Tivoli pour past ancient ruins as a storm gathers.

The Cascades at Tivoli, with a Storm Approaching, 1824.

The cascades at Tivoli near Rome were a favourite subject for artists on the Grand Tour. This view dates from 1824.

Sage, olive and cream for a study.

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7. Erigone

A figure emerges from a gnarled tree and reaches for a cluster of grapes.

Gustave Moreau, Erigone, ~ 1865.

Gustave Moreau painted Erigone, loved by the god of wine, around 1865, in soft sage and parchment tones.

Sage and parchment for a dining room.

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8. Campagna Landscape

A lone figure pauses in a field of wildflowers beside a dense copse under a hazy sky.

Arnold Böcklin, Campagna Landscape, 1855.

Böcklin painted the Roman Campagna in 1855, in his first years in Italy.

Deep sage and straw for a living room.

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Sage with stone and slate

Cool, sophisticated pairings.

9. The Travelling Poet

A poet rests on a rocky ledge beside a golden lyre and a winged horse under a bright star.

Gustave Moreau, The Travelling Poet, by 1898.

Moreau painted the travelling poet with Pegasus, the winged horse of poetry, in soft sage and slate.

Sage, slate and a gleam of pale gold.

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10. Bagpiper

A lone bagpiper stands on a grassy ridge against a soft cloudy sky.

Arnold Böcklin, Bagpiper, 1861.

Böcklin painted this bagpiper on a ridge in 1861, in quiet sage and grey greens.

Sage and stone grey for a calm hallway.

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11. Landscape with Pond and Mountains

Figures rest by a still mountain pond under an overcast sky.

Havell, Landscape with Pond and Mountains, ca. 1800-50. Victoria and Albert Museum, London.

This British landscape of the early nineteenth century is by a member of the Havell family of painters and engravers.

Sage and soft taupe for a quiet bedroom.

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12. Mountainous Landscape near Düsseldorf

Figures rest by a country road winding toward a sunlit valley and distant hills.

Mountainous Landscape near Düsseldorf, 1790.

This view of the hills near Düsseldorf was painted in 1790, in fresh sage greens and pale blue.

Sage and powder blue for a light, airy room.

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The safest partners for sage are warm whites and cream; for warmth add ochre, gold, terracotta or brass; for softness add blush and dusty rose; for depth add slate, charcoal or a deep olive. Natural wood and linen suit it in every room. For more, see green wall art, art for green walls and calming bedroom colours.

Questions

What colours go with sage green?

Cream, warm white, blush and dusty rose, ochre and mustard, terracotta, brass and gold, stone grey and slate.

What art goes with sage green walls?

Landscapes and botanicals with soft greens, warm golds and creams, or pictures with a touch of rose or terracotta.

Is sage green good for a bedroom?

Yes. It is one of the calmest wall colours, especially with cream bedding, linen and natural wood.

What frame colour goes with sage green?

Natural oak, brass and gold are warm and flattering; white frames keep it fresh.