Two Steeds Canvas

A metre tall. This is a single statement piece, not one of a group.

It hangs alone. At this size it needs clear wall around it rather than company, and adding other frames beside it works against what you bought it for.

Above a sofa, artwork should span roughly two thirds of the furniture width. At 75cm wide this suits a sofa of about 110cm to 120cm, so it is better suited to a two seater or a chair than a long three seater. Above a wider sofa it will look undersized.

Above a console, it works well on a piece of around 100cm to 110cm. Leave 20cm to 25cm between the top of the furniture and the bottom of the frame.

On an empty wall, centre it at around 145cm to 155cm from the floor. On a portrait piece a metre tall, that means the top edge sits at roughly 195cm to 205cm, so check the ceiling height and any picture rail.

The horses are simplified almost to silhouette, and that is the whole thing.

There is no attempt at anatomy. The forms are pared back to shape and stance, with the legs running down as long tapering strokes and the heads reduced to a line of neck and muzzle. That simplification is what lets the piece sit in a contemporary room where a realistic equestrian painting would look traditional.

The composition is two overlapping figures, the dark horse in front and the pale one behind, facing opposite ways. That opposition gives the piece its tension, and the overlap gives it depth without perspective.

The palette is restrained: near-black, warm cream and a soft sage grey ground, with a thin line of rust showing through at the edges where the underpainting is left visible. That rust line is a painterly detail and it is the thing that stops the piece looking like a graphic.

The slim black floating frame is the right choice here. It contains the canvas without adding weight, and on a modern painted piece a heavy or gilt frame would fight the image.

• 100cm tall, large enough to hold a wall with nothing beside it
• Simplified almost to silhouette, so it reads as contemporary rather than traditional
• Two overlapping figures facing opposite ways, which gives the piece its tension
• A restrained palette of black, cream and sage grey
• Visible underpainting at the edges, a painterly detail rather than a flat graphic
• Slim black floating frame, containing without adding weight
• One decision solves a wall, unlike a cluster that has to be planned
• Neutral enough for any scheme, with the subject doing the work

This is a statement piece and it wants clear space around it. Hanging smaller frames beside it turns a single strong image into a busy wall, which is the opposite of what a large canvas is for.

At 75cm wide it suits a two seater, an armchair or a console of around 110cm. Above a long three-seater sofa it will read as undersized, however tall it is.

The sage grey ground is mid toned, so it needs a wall either lighter or considerably darker to separate from. Against a similar grey the whole canvas flattens.

A black frame gives you licence for one other black note in the room, a lamp base or a metal detail. More than one and the room starts to look colour-matched to the art.

Visible brushwork and a textured canvas need raking light to show. A lamp on the surface below or daylight from one side does far more than an overhead fitting, which flattens the surface entirely.

Dust the canvas with a dry, very soft brush only. A textured surface holds dust in the weave, and a cloth can catch on raised brushwork.

Nothing wet on the canvas, ever. No sprays, no damp cloths. An unglazed canvas will mark permanently.

The frame takes a dry cloth. A slim black finish shows a scuff as a lighter mark, so nothing abrasive.

Check the fixings once a year. A canvas this size is not heavy, but on a portrait piece a metre tall, a fixing that drifts shows immediately.

Out of direct sunlight, which fades pigment over years, and away from a radiator or a steamy room.

What to expect. The canvas texture and the depth of the brushwork are more apparent in person than in a photograph, which is the usual way round for a painted piece.

It ships packed to protect the frame and the canvas surface in transit. Current timescales and charges are set out on our delivery page.

Send us the width of the wall or the furniture you have in mind and we will tell you honestly whether 75cm is the right proportion. Reach us via our contact page or live chat.

If it is not right once it is up, our returns process is straightforward, and everything is covered by our guarantees and warranties.

Our price match promise stands if you find the same piece for less elsewhere. Dressing a hotel or a holiday let? Ask about trade accounts.