Verona Oval Print

Smaller than a sheet of A4, and taller than it is wide.

This is a small piece and should be treated as one. Hung alone in the middle of a wall it will look stranded; used in a cluster or leaning on a shelf it is one of the more useful things you can buy.

It is the portrait counterpart to our landscape-format framed print, which shares the same 21 x 16cm footprint turned the other way. The two hung together, one upright and one across, is a complete small arrangement in itself.

Leaning is the easiest use. On a shelf, a mantel, a console or a bedside, propped against the wall behind a stack of books. No fixings, no holes.

In a small room, a cloakroom or a narrow hallway, a piece this size is correctly scaled where anything larger would overwhelm.

The oval. Almost nothing else on a wall is one.

A gallery wall of rectangles, however well spaced, always reads a little like a grid. An oval breaks it, and it is the single easiest way to make a group of framed pieces look collected over years rather than bought in one order.

The frame is deep and stepped, with several concentric mouldings drawing the eye inward to the image. In aged timber rather than gilt, which gives it a quieter, more antique character than a gold frame would.

The image is unmistakably Italian: dark cypresses against a pale sky, terracotta roofs, white villa walls, and a still channel of water with ducks on it. Loose brushwork in the manner of plein-air landscape painting, with the reflections in the water doing most of the work.

The palette is deeper than most small prints: dark green, ochre and slate against white walls, which means it holds its own in a group rather than fading into the wall.

• An oval frame, which is what breaks up a wall of rectangles
• Deep stepped moulding drawing the eye inward to the image
• Aged timber rather than gilt, quieter and more antique in character
• A proper Italian scene, cypresses, terracotta and still water
• Deeper tones than most small prints, so it holds its own in a group
• Leans as easily as it hangs, so no fixings needed
• Pairs with our landscape print, same footprint turned the other way
• Genuinely good gifting, which very few pieces of art are

Put it off centre in a cluster rather than in the middle. An oval in the centre of a grid looks like a feature; an oval off to one side looks like something that was always there.

One upright oval and one horizontal rectangle, hung with 5cm to 8cm between them. Two small pieces in different shapes read as a collection where two matching ones read as a set.

On a shelf or mantel, propped with something overlapping one corner. A small frame standing free looks placed; one partly obscured looks collected.

An aged timber frame wants warmth nearby rather than metal. A basket, a timber surface or a stoneware vessel rather than brass.

Small art rewards a close look, so it belongs where someone pauses. Beside a bed, in a cloakroom, at the end of a hallway rather than halfway along it.

Spray the cloth, not the frame. Any cleaner running into a stepped moulding will sit in the grooves and mark the timber finish.

Dust the moulding with a soft brush. Concentric steps collect dust where a cloth cannot reach, and a dry paintbrush clears it in seconds.

Nothing wet or abrasive on the timber finish. A barely damp cloth on a mark, dried straight after, is as far as it goes.

Keep it out of direct sunlight. All prints fade, and a sunny wall shortens that considerably. Away from steam too, so not a bathroom.

If you lean it, a small piece of museum putty or a felt pad at the base stops it sliding on a polished shelf.

What to expect. Printed colour varies slightly from what a screen shows, and the timber finish differs a little piece to piece.

It ships as a small parcel, packed for glass. Current timescales and charges are set out on our delivery page.

Building a cluster and not sure what to pair it with? Send us what you have and we will suggest sizes. Reach us via our contact page or live chat.

If it is not right, 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 holiday let? Ask about trade accounts.