Back in the 1930s, this bird painting belonged to another kind of home. Hang it now and a quiet room picks up energy fast: the dark green leaves and scattered red dots do the work of a patterned cushion, without the clutter. It suits a living room wall above a sofa, a hallway that needs a lift, or a dining room wall where people sit and look. Keep the furnishings simple around it linen, cane, mid-tone wood, plain ceramics. One strong colour picked up from the print, red or green, is enough for the rest of the room. Don’t crowd it with busy florals or another loud pattern on the same wall; it wants a little space to breathe. As a canvas, the thick brushwork reads well up close.