Three things it does fast: ground soft grey, sharpen plaster, wake study room. On the wall it slows a room down without emptying it the face gives you something to look at, the pale blue and mustard yellow keep it from going flat. Hang it above a writing desk, a low console or a headboard, at eye level, with clear wall on either side. It sits happily with linen, dark wood, black metal and chalky painted walls, and one mustard cushion nearby ties the whole thing together. What not to do: crowd it with busy patterned pieces or bright colour posters. It needs quiet company. On paper the dry brushwork and the pale border stay crisp, which is why a black frame suits it.