Beneath a lace ruff and the dark drapery of a court portrait, the sitter isn't some grandee of a bygone age but a rabbit with a solemn gaze and impeccable poise. The mismatch is irresistible: all the gravity of Baroque painting, hushed lighting and sumptuous fabrics included, placed at the service of a long-eared model. Every detail, from the starched collar to the heavy folds of cloth, looks straight out of a museum, and yet those upright ears are there to remind you not to read it too literally. The illustration treats refinement with a straight face, which is exactly what raises the smile.

This portrait belongs to our gallery of animals ennobled in the manner of the old masters, gathered in our Animal Portraits collection. Above a dresser, in a hallway or a living room styled like a cabinet of curiosities, it brings a playful elegance. Its warm, shadowy palette sits happily against antique furniture and more contemporary surroundings alike, and it speaks to lovers of classical art who keep a taste for whimsy.

• Sixteen sizes on offer, from a small 13x18 cm to the A0 format
• Choose the bare poster or a frame in black, white, light or dark wood
• Printed on demand on fine paper and inks
• No shipping charges

A distinguished little something for a friend who loves museums and art history, or a way to lighten up an interior that takes itself a touch too seriously.