Holly and Pine Garland

About this work

The garland reads like a swag laid along a shelf, and the eye follows it from left to right in a slow wave. Its weight sits on the left half, where three pine cones in gold-bronze tones cluster among the holly, while one more cone on the right keeps the balance from tipping. Towards the centre the arrangement thins out into pine needles and small sprigs of berries, a breathing space before the leaves gather again. Against the very dark green ground, almost black, the reds glow like embers and the gilded leaf edges trace bright outlines. A small berry sprig at the top left adds a quiet accent above the main line. Up close, the engraved lines on every needle and scale are easy to follow; from across the room the picture settles into a warm band of red, green and gold.

Decking a British home with evergreens for Christmas is a far older habit than the Christmas tree. In Victorian houses, holly, ivy, laurel and pine were twisted into garlands and swags for banisters, doorways, mantelpieces and picture frames, and parish churches were dressed with greenery for the season. The tree came later as a fashion. Queen Charlotte, the German-born wife of George III, had already set one up at Windsor around 1800, but it was an engraving of Queen Victoria, Prince Albert and their children around a decorated tree, published in the Illustrated London News in 1848, that made it popular across the country. Even then, the garland kept its place along the mantelpiece, much like the one stretched across this picture.

From Advent to Twelfth Night it makes a natural centrepiece for a dining room or a winter mantelpiece, on cream, deep green or charcoal walls, and the dark, wintry greenery keeps it at home through January and February too. A slim black or antique gold frame echoes the gilded leaf edges, and warm evening lamps make the reds richer. The print file is 7680 × 4320 px, about 65 cm wide at 300 dpi, enough for a long panel over a sideboard. The separate 4K TV pack holds 3840 × 2160 for the Samsung Frame or any 4K art-mode TV, plus 2560 × 1440 and 1920 × 1080. The Golden Holly and The Golden Pine Cone, both in portrait, make a fitting pair on either side.