Emerald green decor: 12 jewel-toned paintings

Courbet’s hidden brook, a Mughal Tales of a Parrot page, a Rajput deer garden and Böcklin’s blazing summer: twelve paintings in deep, jewel-like green.

Emerald green is green at its richest: deep, glowing and luxurious. An emerald velvet sofa or an emerald bedroom wall needs pictures that can stand beside it, with greens just as deep and touches of gold, red or blue.

Here are twelve paintings in emerald and jewel tones, in three groups: deep woodland greens, jewel-toned miniatures, and emerald light. Each is shown with its colour palette, and each can be ordered as a print.

Deep woodland greens

Forests and streams in shadowy emerald.

1. The Brook of Les Puits-Noir

A quiet stream winds through a dense, mossy ravine in deep green shade.

Gustave Courbet, The Brook of Les Puits-Noir, c. 1855. Oil on canvas. Art Institute of Chicago.

Gustave Courbet painted the secret stream of the Puits-Noir near his home town around 1855, and returned to it many times.

Deep emerald and moss for a velvet-rich room.

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2. Pond in the Woods

A small forest pond reflects the sky, framed by dark green trees.

Narcisse Virgile Diaz de la Peña, Pond in the Woods, 1862. Oil on canvas. Art Institute of Chicago.

Narcisse Diaz de la Peña painted this pond in the forest of Fontainebleau in 1862.

Emerald with a flash of sky blue.

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3. Saint Jerome in the Wilderness

Saint Jerome looks upward in a wild, dark green landscape.

Workshop of Veronese, Saint Jerome in the Wilderness, 1585–90. Oil on canvas. Art Institute of Chicago.

This picture of Saint Jerome in the wilderness came from the workshop of Paolo Veronese in Venice around 1585 to 1590.

Bottle green and stone for a dramatic study.

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4. Peasants Crossing a Stream

Peasants wade across a shallow stream with their cart at the end of the day.

Jan Siberechts, Peasants Crossing a Stream, c. 1670. Oil on canvas. Cleveland Museum of Art.

Jan Siberechts painted the Flemish countryside in the 1670s with a fresh, cool light all his own.

Deep green and soft blue for a dining room.

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Jewel-toned miniatures

Emerald, gold and vermilion from the Mughal and Rajput courts.

5. The Prince's Fortune

A woman offers her companionship to a prince in a garden pavilion of deep green, blue and orange.

The Prince's Fortune, c. 1560. Gum tempera, ink, and gold on paper. Cleveland Museum of Art.

This page of about 1560 comes from the Tutinama, the Tales of a Parrot, painted for the young emperor Akbar. The woman is the prince’s good fortune.

Emerald, sapphire and vermilion, like a jewel box.

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6. Woman Feeding Deer: Todi Ragini, from a Ragamala

A woman offers leaves to a pair of deer in a lush green landscape.

Woman Feeding Deer: Todi Ragini, from a Ragamala, c. 1610. Gum tempera and gold on paper. Cleveland Museum of Art.

In Indian painting each musical mode has a picture. Todi Ragini, a mood of tender longing, is shown as a woman charming deer. This page dates from about 1610.

Emerald and gold for a bedroom.

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7. A Prophetic Dream

A prince dreams in a palace surrounded by bright green foliage and red architecture.

A Prophetic Dream, 1670–80. Gum tempera, ink, silver, and gold on paper. Cleveland Museum of Art.

This Rajput page of 1670 to 1680 shows Prince Shreyamsa dreaming of the coming of the holy teacher Rishabha.

Vivid green and brick red for a colourful room.

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8. The Prince's Hunt

Henry, Prince of Wales, and Sir John Harington stand in a green clearing after a hunt.

Robert Peake the Elder, The Prince's Hunt, 1603. Oil on canvas. The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York.

Robert Peake the Elder painted the young Prince of Wales and his friend in 1603, in a deep green forest clearing.

Emerald and scarlet for a library or study.

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Emerald light

Green glowing with sun.

9. The Palm House Interior

Sunlight filters through the glass roof of a conservatory onto a tall palm.

Carl Blechen, The Palm House Interior, 1834. Oil on canvas. Art Institute of Chicago.

Carl Blechen painted the palm house on the Peacock Island near Potsdam in 1834, a royal glasshouse full of tropical plants.

Palm green for a conservatory feel.

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10. Summer day

Tall poplars rise against a deep blue sky over a stream with figures on its banks.

Arnold Böcklin, Summer day, 1881.

Arnold Böcklin painted Summer Day in 1881, with an almost electric emerald and ultramarine.

Emerald and ultramarine, spectacular in a bold room.

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11. Solitude

A lone figure in red stands by a still pool among towering rocks and dense green.

Arnold Böcklin, Solitude, by 1901.

Böcklin’s Solitude places a single red figure in a vast landscape of rocks, water and deep teal green.

Teal emerald with a single red accent.

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12. Italian Landscape

A winding path leads through an idealised Roman countryside framed by tall trees.

Gaspard Dughet, Italian Landscape, ca. 1630-1640. Victoria and Albert Museum, London.

Gaspard Dughet, brother-in-law of Nicolas Poussin, painted classical landscapes of the Roman countryside in the 1630s and 1640s.

Deep, glowing greens for a traditional room.

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Emerald rooms love gold: gilt frames, brass lamps and mirrors make deep greens glow. Pair emerald with blush pink, mustard or rust for warmth, or with navy for depth. A single large picture with a strong light area keeps an emerald wall from feeling heavy. For more, see green wall art and art for green walls.

Questions

What colours go with emerald green?

Gold and brass, blush pink, mustard yellow, rust, navy and cream.

What art suits an emerald green bedroom?

Pictures with deep greens and a glowing light area, or jewel-toned miniatures with gold and red.

Which frame suits emerald green walls?

Gold or brass frames are the classic choice; black frames look sharp and modern.

Is emerald green too dark for a small room?

Not if you add light: pale bedding, mirrors, brass and pictures with bright areas keep it glowing.