To-go cup of steaming coffee in hand, you walk past the columns that loom like long-forgotten giants across the outdoor corridor. These marble columns line the entrance to the National Gallery of Art in Washington D.C. At 36 feet tall, the columns are sentries that hint at even more wonders behind the doors they guard.

As you walk into the impressive structure and take a sip of coffee, you’re in awe again, but this time, not because of how tall the art is, but the vastness of it all: over 150,000 paintings, sculptures, decorative arts, photographs, prints, and more line the walls and sprawl throughout the rooms.

Take a spin around one of the many rooms or hallways – they’re all a dazzling kaleidoscope of changing colors. Hues of red burst from blooming flowers and renaissance paintings of revered royals. Oranges pop from abstract paintings, broad brushstrokes of apricot and amber almost jumping off the canvases. Daffodil yellow springs from rolling hills and landscapes, inviting you to stay awhile.

Looking at the works of art with prominently warm colors like red, orange, and yellow, you feel quite a few emotions, even though your main one when you entered the gallery was contentment. Happiness, enthusiasm, more energy, and maybe even a little passion and anger are competing for the top spot on your mood ring. Colors can have a strong impact on our moods, and artists understand this and use it to evoke emotions, depending on what they want their piece to express.

Continuing through the gallery, there are more paintings, sculptures, and photographs to explore. Every few steps lead to another beautiful masterpiece to take in. Exploring the artwork while also exploring the emotions the artist must have felt when they were making it, and the feelings you feel today as you browse so many together in one place is exciting…and humbling. It’s such an immersive experience that your coffee is now cold. Mesmerized by the art, you actually forgot to continue drinking it.

Swaths of blue, green, and purple in the next set of paintings take you on a meandering path to relaxation. Cobalt and cerulean swirl together in a seaside village. Fern and emerald frolic under bridges and among stateside houses. Lilac and amethyst play pretty on party dresses of unnamed invitees and dot hillside flowers. Known as cool colors, these shades typically elicit feelings of calm, growth, peace, and creativity, to name a few.

The commonality across all the pieces in the gallery is inspiration, a yearning to express a scene or emotion so vividly it makes viewers feel like they’re there. An understanding of color theory in the artists’ minds also helps communicate their intention for the piece.