Kitchen wall art: 12 masterpieces of cooks, kitchens and food
Copper pots and hanging game, a cat stealing fish, Cézanne’s apples and a Nantucket kitchen: twelve masterpieces for the heart of the house, with the colours of each.
Painters have loved kitchens for as long as there have been kitchens. The Dutch and Flemish filled them with copper pots and hanging game, the Impressionists with apples and jugs, and both make wonderful company while you cook.
Here are twelve kitchen pictures in three moods: busy old kitchens, humble still lifes, and fresh, bright fruit. Each one is shown with its colour palette, and each can be ordered as a print.
Copper, game and firelight
Kitchens painted when a kitchen was the busiest room of the house.
1. Kitchen Scene
Peter Wtewael, Kitchen Scene, 1620s. Oil on canvas. The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York.
Peter Wtewael of Utrecht painted this busy kitchen in the 1620s. Every surface is full: game ready for the pot, vegetables, copper and clay in warm firelight.
A rich picture for a farmhouse or country kitchen with warm wood and brass.
2. The Kitchen Maid
The Kitchen Maid, with Christ in the house of Martha and Mary, 1569.
Painted in 1569, this is one of the earliest kitchen pictures, from the time when Netherlandish painters began to put the larder in the foreground and the sacred story far behind.
Its ochres and reds suit a warm, traditional kitchen.
3. A Cat Stealing Fish
Giuseppe Recco, A Cat Stealing Fish, late 1660s. Oil on canvas. The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York.
Giuseppe Recco of Naples painted this little drama in the late 1660s. Silver scales, copper and fur shine out of a dark kitchen.
A witty choice for a cat lover’s kitchen, with dark cabinets or copper.
4. Winding Yarn (Interior of a Nantucket Kitchen)
Eastman Johnson, Winding Yarn (Interior of a Nantucket Kitchen), 1872. Oil on board. Cleveland Museum of Art.
Eastman Johnson painted the old kitchens of Nantucket in the 1870s. Here, in 1872, light from a window falls on two women sharing a quiet task.
Perfect for a New England or farmhouse kitchen in warm wood tones.
5. The Cook and His Wife
Albrecht Dürer, The Cook and His Wife, probably 1497. Atelier colour edition of the engraving. Cleveland Museum of Art.
Albrecht Dürer engraved The Cook and His Wife around 1497. This is an atelier colour edition of the black and white engraving, in soft blues, greens and warm browns.
A characterful small picture for a kitchen wall or shelf.
Bread, jugs and simple things
Everyday objects painted with love.
6. Still Life with Ham
Philippe Rousseau, Still Life with Ham, 1870s. Oil on canvas. The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York.
Philippe Rousseau painted this generous table in the 1870s, one of the still lifes that made him a favourite at the Paris Salon.
A warm piece for a classic kitchen in cream and dark green.
7. Still Life with Jug and Knife
Édouard Vuillard, Still Life with Jug and Knife, 1888–89. Oil on canvas. Art Institute of Chicago.
Édouard Vuillard painted this small still life in 1888 or 1889, when he was barely twenty. A jug and a knife are enough for a quietly beautiful picture.
Ideal for a minimal or Japandi kitchen in stone, putty and grey.
8. Still Life with Apples and Pitcher
Camille Pissarro, Still Life with Apples and Pitcher, 1872. Oil on canvas. The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York.
Camille Pissarro painted this still life in 1872, one of very few he made. Soft blue grey, cream and apple red give it a quiet freshness.
Lovely in a white or duck egg blue kitchen.
9. Still Life with Game Birds
Jan Vonck, Still Life with Game Birds, 17th century. Oil on panel. Harvard Art Museums.
Jan Vonck painted this game piece in the seventeenth century in soft browns and ochres, every feather catching the light.
A traditional choice for a country kitchen or a pantry door.
Fruit and markets
Colour for a light, modern kitchen.
10. Dish of Apples
Paul Cézanne, Dish of Apples, ca. 1876–77. Oil on canvas. The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York.
Paul Cézanne painted Dish of Apples around 1876 to 1877. His apples feel solid enough to pick up, and their reds and yellows glow against the white cloth.
A bright, modern choice for a white kitchen.
11. Still Life with Fruit
Émile Bernard, Still Life with Fruit, 1890. Oil on canvas. Art Institute of Chicago.
Émile Bernard painted this still life in 1890, at the time he and Gauguin were working in Brittany. Ochre, terracotta and green are set down in strong, simple shapes.
Great for a colourful kitchen with terracotta, olive or mustard.
12. Variations in Violet and Grey—Market Place, Dieppe
James McNeill Whistler, Variations in Violet and Grey—Market Place, Dieppe, 1885. Gouache and watercolor on off-white wove paper, mounted on academy board. The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York.
James McNeill Whistler painted this small market scene in 1885 in watercolour and gouache. It is a quick, airy picture of the French market day.
A delicate picture for a soft grey or lilac kitchen.
In a kitchen, hang art away from the hob and sink, on an open wall, at the end of a run of cabinets or above a breakfast table. A framed print behind glass is easy to clean. Choose one colour from the picture’s palette to repeat in tea towels, bowls or a jug, and the painting will feel part of the room. For the room next door, see dining room wall art.
Questions
What art suits a kitchen?
Still lifes of fruit, bread and jugs, scenes of cooks and kitchens, and market pictures. Anything with food, warmth and everyday life fits naturally.
Where should I hang art in a kitchen?
Away from heat and steam: on an open wall, above a breakfast table, at the end of the cabinets or on a shelf leaning against the wall.
Can I hang a print in the kitchen?
Yes. Choose a framed print behind glass or acrylic so it can be wiped clean, and keep it away from the hob and sink.
What size art for a kitchen wall?
Kitchens usually have small walls, so medium pictures of 30 to 60 centimetres work well, alone or in a small group.