We like a horse portrait best when it comes with a little abrasion. The brushwork here is left rough and unfinished, so the horse reads as a real animal on a damp morning rather than a tidy show pony. Hung on a plain wall, it slows a room down and gives it a bit of country weather. It suits a hallway, a study, or a kitchen wall you pass a hundred times a day. Pair it with aged leather, checked wool, painted panelling and dark wood. Keep the wall around it fairly quiet heavy pattern or busy shelving will fight the soft grey background and flatten the horse. On canvas the brush marks read as real paint, which suits this piece well.