Black Cat by the Sea, Matisse-Inspired Canvas Print

Black Cat by the Sea, Matisse-Inspired Canvas PrintBack in the 1950s, this painted black cat belonged to another kind of home a sun warmed villa with a sea view and a palm in a clay pot by the door. The colour does the work: deep red walls, a yellow arch, soft pink terrace, and that quiet stripe of blue sea. Hang it in a living room, hallway or sunny kitchen and the room gets noticeably warmer and a touch more playful. It sits best on a chalky off white wall, above a low console or sideboard, where

With two women gathering fruit on a hillside

or behind a drinks trolley where the colour can bounce around

full of character up close

Hung small

sage — make it sing

The deep greens and mustard tones warm up a painted cabinet wall without shouting

Looks especially good against off-white or soft-cream walls where the orange can do its thing

so it lifts a room without dominating it

shutters open

Do not stack it next to another loud landscape or a busy floral

daft enough to make people smile

wrasse and a deep red specimen — stacked under a chunky REEF FISH headline