Christmas Eve

A Blenheim Cavalier King Charles spaniel sits on red velvet by a lit candle and Christmas fir branches, with a doll in a basket, apples and walnuts. 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 chocolate, with Venetian red and rust 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 tall format leads the eye from top to bottom, so the details reward a second and a third look.

A tall canvas like this one suits a narrow wall: a hallway, the space beside a bookcase or a doorway, or the wall between two windows. Hung for the season, it makes a warm centrepiece for the winter months. Chocolate and Venetian red are easy to echo in cushions, a throw or a painted wall nearby, and it holds its own in a mixed gallery wall.

Friedrich Dürck made the original in 1884; 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.