Old Father Christmas

A white-bearded old man in a pale robe raises a glass at a red feast table. The figure holds the centre of the canvas, and everything around it, from the fall of the light to the setting, is there to bring it forward. Look closely and the details carry as much of its character as the face itself.

Its palette, measured from the canvas, is led by chocolate, with rust and burgundy in support: a low-lit, 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. Hung for the season, it makes a warm centrepiece for the winter months. Chocolate and rust are easy to echo in cushions, a throw or a painted wall nearby, and it holds its own in a mixed gallery wall.

William Ewart Lockhart made the original before 1900; 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.