At evening, the still life turns from nice idea to main character. The room stops being a place you pass through and starts feeling like somewhere you sit down. Put it where people gather after dark: a dining wall, a snug, the short wall beside a drinks cabinet. The cream tabletop keeps things light, while the dark wood behind gives the wall some depth without going gloomy. It gets on well with dark timber, leather, brass and a bit of marble or glass. Keep the wall around it fairly plain and let the soft pink rose be the only bright note. Don’t crowd it with busy pattern or hang it somewhere bleached by hard midday sun. On fine-art paper the brushwork stays crisp and detailed up close.