Pink wall art: 12 paintings in blush, rose and coral

Hilma af Klint’s pastel cosmos, Utamaro’s rose kimonos and a Rococo marquise with a rose in her hair: twelve paintings in every shade of pink.

Pink has grown up. Blush walls, dusty rose velvet and plaster pink kitchens are now among the most loved colours in interiors, and a pink picture is the easiest way to bring that warmth into a room without repainting.

True pink is rare in old paintings, which makes the ones that have it special. Here are twelve, in three groups: blush and powder pink, rose prints from Japan, and pink with a bold partner.

Blush and powder pink

Soft, pale pinks for bedrooms and nurseries.

1. The Dove, No. 1

A pale sphere holding a pink heart, crossed by a spiralling double line.

Hilma af Klint, The Dove, No. 1, 1915. Oil on canvas. Hilma af Klint Foundation, Stockholm.

Hilma af Klint painted The Dove series in 1915 as part of her Paintings for the Temple, kept hidden for decades after her death.

Blush, chalk white and soft brown.

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2. The Ten Largest, No. 5, Adulthood

A great pink blossom with a yellow heart floats above white looping lines on lavender.

Hilma af Klint, The Ten Largest, No. 5, Adulthood, 1907. Tempera on paper, mounted on canvas. Hilma af Klint Foundation, Stockholm.

Hilma af Klint painted The Ten Largest in 1907 as a journey through a human life; number five is Adulthood.

Blush, lavender and buttercup.

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3. Portrait of the Marquise d'Aguirandes

The Marquise d’Aguirandes in silk and lace, with a single rose in her powdered hair.

François Hubert Drouais, Portrait of the Marquise d'Aguirandes, 1759. Oil on canvas. Cleveland Museum of Art.

François Hubert Drouais, a favourite portraitist of Madame de Pompadour, painted the marquise in 1759.

Rose pink and old gold for a dressing room.

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4. Returning Sails

A woman in a patterned kimono looks out from a veranda beside a towel rack.

Suzuki Harunobu, Returning Sails, c. 1766. Color woodblock print; chuban, surimono. Art Institute of Chicago.

Suzuki Harunobu made this witty print around 1766: the towels on the rack are the returning sails of a famous landscape theme.

Shell pink, cream and moss.

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Rose prints from Japan

The soft rose of 18th century woodblock prints.

5. Lantern of the Four Seasons

Two women carry a lantern decorated with the flowers of the four seasons.

Torii Kiyonaga, Lantern of the Four Seasons, 1780. Color woodblock print; chuban. Art Institute of Chicago.

Torii Kiyonaga made this print in 1780; his tall, elegant women set the fashion in Edo prints for a decade.

Rose pink and soft orange.

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6. Chōzan of Chōjiya

The courtesan Chōzan in rose and plum robes behind a bamboo blind.

Kitagawa Utamaro, Chōzan of Chōjiya. Colour woodblock print. Cleveland Museum of Art.

Kitagawa Utamaro, the great painter of women in Edo, made this print for a set of beauties.

Dusty rose and sea green.

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7. Drawing Lots for Prizes (Ho biki)

A group of women gather around a box to draw lots for prizes.

Kitagawa Utamaro, Drawing Lots for Prizes (Ho biki), c. 1798. Color woodblock prints; ōban triptych. Art Institute of Chicago.

Utamaro made this triptych around 1798, a lively party scene spread across three sheets.

Rose, straw yellow and ink black.

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8. Woman Holding a Tortoise-shell Hair-comb

A woman holds a tortoiseshell comb, her hair piled high.

Kitagawa Utamaro, Woman Holding a Tortoise-shell Hair-comb, c. 1795/96. Color woodblock print; oban. Art Institute of Chicago.

Utamaro made this close portrait around 1795, when his large head pictures of women were the height of fashion.

Powder pink, plum and sage.

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Pink with a bold partner

Pink set against navy, black or orange for living rooms.

9. The Ten Largest, No. 1, Childhood

Pink spirals, white petals and yellow seeds float on a deep blue ground.

Hilma af Klint, The Ten Largest, No. 1, Childhood, 1907. Tempera on paper, mounted on canvas. Hilma af Klint Foundation, Stockholm.

The first of Hilma af Klint’s Ten Largest, Childhood, painted in 1907 at more than three metres tall.

Pink, navy and tangerine: fearless and joyful.

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10. The Ten Largest, No. 2, Childhood

Blush and orange rosettes bloom in circles on a dusty blue ground.

Hilma af Klint, The Ten Largest, No. 2, Childhood, 1907. Tempera on paper, mounted on canvas. Hilma af Klint Foundation, Stockholm.

The second of the Ten Largest, also Childhood: Hilma af Klint painted all ten in a few months of 1907.

Blush, powder blue and marigold.

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11. Archduchess Isabella Clara

The young Archduchess Isabella Clara in rose and black court dress.

Archduchess Isabella Clara, 1652.

Painted in 1652, the young Habsburg archduchess wears the rich court dress of her rank.

Dusty rose and black, dramatic in a hallway.

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12. Beauty Reading a Letter

A young woman reads a long letter scroll, absorbed.

Ishikawa Toyonobu, Beauty Reading a Letter, c. 1758. Color woodblock print; ōban, benizuri-e. Art Institute of Chicago.

Ishikawa Toyonobu made this print around 1758 in benizuri-e, the early technique printed mostly in rose and green.

Rose, sage and cream.

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Blush suits bedrooms, nurseries and bathrooms; dusty rose suits living rooms with sage, grey or navy; coral brings warmth to white kitchens. Brass, gold and pale oak frames flatter pink. For more, see art for green walls, calming bedroom colours and red wall art.

Questions

What colours go with pink wall art?

Sage and olive green, navy, charcoal, cream, terracotta and brass.

Is pink art good for a bedroom?

Yes. Soft blush and dusty rose are warm, calm and flattering in lamplight.

What colour walls go with pink art?

White, cream, sage, soft grey and deep green all set off pink pictures beautifully.

Is pink art only for girls’ rooms?

Not at all. Dusty rose, coral, and pink with navy or green look sophisticated in living rooms, studies and hallways.