Green wall art: 12 masterpieces in every shade of green
Gauguin’s Tahiti, Bierstadt’s forest, the Unicorn Tapestries, a Bosch paradise and a mint green Rajput court: twelve masterpieces from moss to jade.
Green is the colour of calm, and the easiest colour to live with: it is the colour of every view out of a window. Green art brings that calm indoors, from deep forest green to fresh leaf green and pale jade.
Here are twelve masterpieces, in three shades: forest green, leaf and grass green, and jade and mint. Each is shown with its colour palette, and each can be ordered as a print.
Forest green
Deep woods, moss and shade.
1. Mountain Brook
Albert Bierstadt, Mountain Brook, 1863. Oil on canvas. Art Institute of Chicago.
Albert Bierstadt painted this mountain brook in 1863, after his first great journey to the American West.
Deep moss green for a study or bedroom.
2. The Garden of Paradise
Workshop of Hieronymus Bosch, The Garden of Paradise, c. 1500–c. 1520. Oil on panel. Art Institute of Chicago.
This Garden of Paradise was painted in the workshop of Hieronymus Bosch around 1500 to 1520, full of the strange creatures of his imagination.
Rich greens with endless detail.
3. The Unicorn Crosses a Stream
South Netherlandish weavers, The Unicorn Crosses a Stream, 1495–1505. Wool warp with wool, silk, silver, and gilt wefts. The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York.
The Unicorn Tapestries were woven around 1495 to 1505 in wool, silk, silver and gold. They are among the treasures of The Cloisters in New York.
Deep green with flowers and a touch of red.
4. Cottages Near Larchant
Théodore Rousseau, Cottages Near Larchant, not dated. Oil on wood panel. Cleveland Museum of Art.
Théodore Rousseau, leader of the Barbizon painters, painted the countryside near Larchant, at the edge of the forest of Fontainebleau.
Earthy greens for a cottage style room.
Leaf and grass green
Fresh, bright greens of sun and growth.
5. Te raau rahi (The Big Tree)
Paul Gauguin, Te raau rahi (The Big Tree), 1891. Oil on jute canvas. Art Institute of Chicago.
Paul Gauguin painted The Big Tree in 1891, his first year in Tahiti, on rough jute canvas.
Bright leaf green for a sunny living room.
6. Apollo and Marsyas
Hans Thoma, Apollo and Marsyas, 1888. Oil on panel. Art Institute of Chicago.
Hans Thoma painted the musical contest of Apollo and Marsyas in 1888, set in a German forest glade.
Grass green and blue for a music room.
7. The Sisters
George Inness, The Sisters, 1882. Oil on millboard. Art Institute of Chicago.
George Inness painted The Sisters in 1882, in the soft, blurred style of his late years.
Olive and gold for a living room.
8. Landscape
Narcisse Diaz de la Peña, Landscape, c. 1860. Watercolor and gouache with pen and brown ink and graphite. Cleveland Museum of Art.
Narcisse Diaz de la Peña was one of the Barbizon painters of the forest of Fontainebleau. He made this watercolour around 1860.
Fresh greens for a hallway or bedroom.
Jade, mint and olive
Pale, cool greens from Indian and Japanese art.
9. Portrait of a Woman
Rajput painter, Portrait of a Woman, c 1675–1700. Gum tempera, ink, and gold on paper. Cleveland Museum of Art.
This Rajput portrait of about 1675 to 1700 is painted in gum tempera, ink and gold, with fine pearls and goldwork.
Jade green and coral for an elegant bedroom.
10. Rana Amar Singh II (reigned 1698–1710) smoking a hookah
Rana Amar Singh II (reigned 1698–1710) smoking a hookah, c. 1700. Gum tempera and gold on paper. Cleveland Museum of Art.
Rana Amar Singh II ruled Mewar from 1698 to 1710. This court painting of about 1700 shows him at ease on his terrace.
Mint green and gold for a colourful room.
11. At Kiyomizu Temple
Suzuki Harunobu, At Kiyomizu Temple, 1766-1767 (Meiwa 3-4). Woodblock print (nishiki-e); ink and color on paper. Harvard Art Museums.
Suzuki Harunobu made this print in 1766 to 1767, part of a series of the poet Komachi in fashionable modern dress.
Soft green and coral for a calm corner.
12. Krishna and the Serpent Kaliya
Krishna and the Serpent Kaliya, c. 1710. Gum tempera and gold on paper. Cleveland Museum of Art.
This Rajput page of about 1710 from the Bhagavata Purana shows the young god Krishna taming the serpent Kaliya, who had poisoned the river.
Olive green and coral for a colourful study.
Green pictures look wonderful against white, cream and warm wood, and they bring the outdoors into rooms without much view. Gold and brass frames make deep greens glow; pale oak suits fresh greens. For more, see art for green walls, emerald green decor and colours that go with sage green.
Questions
What colours go with green wall art?
White, cream, warm wood, terracotta, blush pink and brass all flatter green.
Is green art good for a bedroom?
Yes. Green is restful and natural, and soft greens are among the most calming colours for a bedroom.
What shades of green are in paintings?
Forest and moss greens in landscapes, fresh leaf greens in Impressionist pictures, and jade, mint and celadon in Asian painting.
Where should I hang green art?
Anywhere you want calm: bedrooms, living rooms, studies and rooms without a garden view.