Oxherd by Kamisaka Sekka Canvas Print

Oxherd by Kamisaka Sekka Canvas PrintWhat's the study missing? Deep black with some nerve. A young flute player curled against a huge black ox, painted in the loose Japanese woodblock manner Kamisaka Sekka made his own. Hang it and the room gets quieter and a little more thoughtful the deep black pulls the eye and the cream borders let the wall breathe. Works above a low console, a writing desk or a reading bench. Pair it with pale oak, walnut, linen, stoneware and a paper shade or two.

and a few well-chosen books

It does its best work where someone small can actually see it

every petal earning its place

Avoid hanging it against heavy reds or strong patterned wallpaper

and the open-window view adds a sense of breeze without crowding anything

The pink softens everything around it

and then a quiet white cat slips into the frame and changes the whole mood

The room feels a little wider

this kind of cheeky cat illustration belonged to another kind of home — small Italian trattorias

What not to do: don't crowd it with other busy graphic posters in clashing colours

It also works in a breakfast nook or just inside the dining room

The water in the picture catches on the wall