We like portraits best when they come with a little abrasion. Here it’s the loose brushwork the strokes don’t tidy themselves up, and that’s what stops the piece feeling like a stock photo on the wall.

Put it up and the room exhales. The pale blue background reads as breathing space, and the figure gives a room a person to share it with without crowding it. Useful in bedrooms that have gone a bit cold, or in reading corners that feel under-furnished.

Works best at eye level above a low bench, a chest of drawers, or a quiet chair. Don’t bury it behind a tall headboard.

Pair it with washed linen, pale oak, soft cotton, and ceramics in off-white or warm grey. A little aged leather keeps it from going too pretty.

Keep it away from busy floral wallpaper and high-contrast graphic art the canvas weave already adds texture, so let the wall around it stay calm.