Tama, the Japanese Dog

A small black-and-white Japanese Chin dog sits on a pale floor, looking up. The animal is the true subject here, observed with the affection and patience the old painters kept for their favourite sitters. Fur, eyes and posture are all set down with care, so its character comes through at any distance.

Its palette, measured from the canvas, is led by stone, with greige and taupe 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 near-square format holds everything close to the centre, which gives the picture its settled, quiet balance.

A near-square canvas like this one sits easily almost anywhere: above a console, in a reading nook or at the heart of a gallery wall. For animal lovers it finds a home in a hallway, a study or a sunny kitchen. Stone and greige are easy to echo in cushions, a throw or a painted wall nearby, and it holds its own in a mixed gallery wall.

Édouard Manet made the original around 1875; in the collection it is listed under Impressionism. It has the Impressionists’ feeling for a passing moment, with lively brushwork and light that seems to move across the surface. 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.