Serenity here is composure held in difficult company — and the size you choose decides how near a room comes to that composure.

Scale here comes from containment rather than sweep. Blossom masses close both edges and carry the eye inward along a single vertical spine: open sky at the top, the falls coming down the center, the figure standing at the waterline below. Nothing leaks outward, so the wall wants quiet more than breathing room. Because the weight gathers low at the water while the axis rises the full height of the frame, the lower edge belongs 8–12 inches above the cushions, close enough that a seated viewer meets her at the waterline while the vault above keeps room to climb. And the piece hides its subject in the second reading: from across the room the eye takes the falls, the turquoise shallows, a woman at rest, and the scene registers as peace; closer in, the rock above her resolves into a head with its jaws open, and the white serpent comes forward at the right edge. What looked like calm turns out to be calm held in company that would unsettle anyone facing the other way — and she has not turned.

• Lateral Clearance — 12–18 in (30–46 cm) per side for small works; 18–30+ in (46–76+ cm) for large
• Hang Height — lower edge 8–12 in (20–30 cm) above the cushions, read from seated and standing
• Artwork Width — sized to the plaster panel rather than the bench; the work spans past the seating on both sides
• Viewing Distance — 5–8 ft (1.5–2.4 m) for detail; 10–16 ft (3.0–4.9 m) for the full composition