The proportion rule for this wall

The common rule is that art should cover about two thirds to three quarters of the wall width below it. On a 120 cm wide wall, that means a print spanning 80 to 90 cm across. Height is more forgiving, but a piece around 100 to 120 cm tall keeps the composition from floating in empty space. A framed poster adds 3 to 6 cm per side depending on the moulding, so measure the frame, not the image.

The anxious calculation most people make is treating the wall as the limit. It is not. A 120x150 cm wall can carry a 90x120 cm print with 15 cm of margin on each side and still look generous. What it cannot carry well is a small print hung alone. A 50x70 cm Valadon on this wall will read as an afterthought unless it anchors a group. For a single statement piece, go large. The Bouquet of Flowers framed poster suits that role.

Valadon's compositions matter here too. Her still lifes and portraits are tightly cropped, with figures and objects pressed close to the edges of the picture plane. That density means a large print holds its own at scale. A sparse landscape can shrink gracefully; a Valadon cannot. Err toward the bigger size if you are torn between two.

Three arrangements that work at this size

One large print is the simplest answer, but not the only one. The wall's proportions, wider than tall, favour either a single landscape format piece or a vertical pair. Below are the arrangements that reliably work on a 120x150 cm surface, with the dimensions that make each one balance.

Before choosing, picture the wall in context. If it sits above furniture, the print width should relate to that furniture, often matching about two thirds of a sofa's length. If it is a bare wall, the print can claim more of it. Valadon's portraits carry a lot of visual weight, so a single piece is usually enough. The Portrait of Bernard Lemaire's Mother framed poster at a large size handles a bare wall on its own.

If you prefer canvas, note that a stretched canvas has no frame to add, so the printed dimensions are the final dimensions. That makes sizing slightly easier to predict. The Portrait of Bernard Lemaire's Mother on canvas in a 90x120 cm format will finish almost exactly at that size on the wall.

Measuring before you order

Mark the intended footprint on the wall with painter's tape before ordering. Cut paper or tape to the exact print dimensions, including the frame, and live with it for a day. This takes ten minutes and removes nearly all the guesswork. Check the sightlines too. A print hung opposite a doorway gets read from a distance, which favours larger dimensions and bolder images.

Centre height matters as much as width. The standard is 145 to 150 cm from floor to the centre of the artwork, adjusted upward if the wall is above seating. On a 150 cm tall wall, a 100 cm tall print hung at eye level leaves a sensible band above and below. For more on how her work behaves in a room, see the piece on Valadon in a minimalist living room Valadon prints in a minimalist living room.

If you are weighing framed poster against canvas at this size, the decision usually turns on finish rather than dimensions, and it is covered fully in the guide to choosing between canvas and framed poster. Either format works at 90x120 cm. The wall will not care. The room's light and the neighbouring colours will decide more than the format will.