We like an animal portrait best when it comes with a little abrasion. This Highland cow stares straight out from a thick, bright red background, its shaggy hair broken into pink, orange, blue and green streaks. Put it up and the room stops being polite. A quiet sofa wall gains a focal point, a plain kitchen wall gains a joke, and a dull hallway suddenly has something to say. Hang it above a sideboard, a low sofa or a bench where people pass close by. Pair it with deep green or navy upholstery, tan leather, painted cabinetry and warm wood. Don’t crowd it with other loud colour work, and skip fussy small frames nearby. On fine-art paper the red stays flat and matt, closer to a painted wall.