No, the soft lilac doesn't soften the room. It defines it. Monet's misty river scene pulls the air in a room down to a hush, the kind you only notice once it's there.

Put it up and the wall stops shouting. Light bounces gently off the pale blues and greens, and the room feels a touch wider and slower.

It works best on a quiet wall: above a bed, behind a reading chair, or along a hallway that needs calming rather than filling. Pair it with pale oak, linen, brushed brass and chalky off-white walls.

Don't crowd it. Skip the dark heavy frames, the busy patterns and the bold colour blocks nearby. As a stretched canvas, the loose brushwork reads softly across the room.