Old Cottages at Pinner

Old white-washed English cottages stand behind a flowering cottage garden. The house is the subject, painted as a place as much as a building. The garden, the water or the sky around it sets the mood and gives the walls and windows their light.

Its palette, measured from the canvas, is led by olive, with taupe and umber in support: a mid-toned, warm picture. Those warm tones give it a glow that comes alive in lamplight and deepens as the evening draws in. The wide format lets the scene unfold from side to side, with something new to find towards its edges.

A wide canvas like this one is a natural focal point above a sofa, a sideboard or a bed, where its width can carry the wall. It suits an entrance hall or a study, a view to come home to. Olive and taupe are easy to echo in cushions, a throw or a painted wall nearby, and it holds its own in a mixed gallery wall.

Helen Allingham made the original in 1890; in the collection it is listed under Realism. It has the directness of Realism, showing people, animals and places as the painter saw them. This painting is printed to order on gallery-wrapped canvas in 30 × 40 cm or 40 × 60 cm, from the image you see here. The canvas wraps around its frame, so it arrives ready to hang, with no framing needed. Want yourself in it instead? Add a photo and see your portrait free before you order.