Too much beige. Not enough deep red. This fixes that. A neutral room with pale walls and light wood tends to go flat by the afternoon, and this old bird study gives it a point to land on. Once it is up, the grey and off-white settle into the room while the chestnut head, dark green eye patch and small red wing flash pull the eye across. Hang it at eye level in a hallway, above a small chest in a bedroom, or on a study wall beside a desk. Pair it with aged leather, linen, dark painted wood and brass handles. Don’t crowd it with bright modern graphics or loud colour blocks they flatten the fine linework. As a canvas, it reads softer and more painterly, so choose a larger size to keep the detail legible.