We like portraits best when they come with a little abrasion. Van Gogh’s 1887 self-portrait is exactly that a steady, red-bearded face inside a swirl of blue brushwork that never quite settles. Put it on the wall and a quiet room gets a pulse. The blues do most of the work, the warm ginger of the beard pulls everything forward, and the pale grey hat keeps the top of the picture from going heavy. Best on a single feature wall in a study, hallway or sitting room somewhere you’ll actually meet its eye. Pair it with dark wood, aged leather and a plaster or off-white wall so the blues can breathe. Skip floral patterns, busy gallery walls and pastel rooms this is a soloist, and it doesn’t share the stage well. On canvas the texture sits closer to the original oil.