Christmas Around the Tree

A family dances hand in hand around a candle-lit Christmas tree in a dark parlour. The group fills the canvas with the warmth of a household, each figure turned towards the others. The small gestures between them tell the story, and there is always another one to find.

Its palette, measured from the canvas, is led by chocolate, with rust and ink 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.

Viggo Johansen made the original in 1891; 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.