Picture light for a painting or photo: length, projection and the right light

The picture light, also called a gallery light, is fitted above a painting, a photo or a poster to bring it out of the shadows. Well chosen, it reveals the colours with no glare or hot spot; badly sized, it only lights the top of the frame. Length, projection, beam, light: here is how to choose the right one.

A picture hung in a room lit by a ceiling light receives flat, often insufficient light, and sometimes a shadow cast by its own frame. A dedicated picture light fixes all that by providing close, directed and discreet light.

The general principles of lighting artwork, including ceiling spotlights, are covered in our article on lighting a painting or frame on the wall. Here, we focus on a single object: the light fixed above the picture, and the criteria for choosing it.

1. What a picture light is

It is an elongated wall light, mounted on one or two arms, with its source pointing downwards and towards the wall. It does not try to light the room: it washes the surface of the picture with even light. It is a form of accent lighting, which draws the eye to a precise point on the wall.

Unlike an adjustable spotlight, which lights from a distance with a round beam, it gives close, even light, ideal for a portrait, a canvas or a framed photo print.

2. The right picture light length

The length is chosen according to the width of the frame. Too short, the light creates a cone of light in the centre and leaves the corners dark; too long, it overhangs and draws the eye more than the artwork does.

For a portrait-format picture, taller than it is wide, go for the upper range: the light has to reach further down, and a slightly longer light makes up for the loss at the bottom of the canvas.

3. Arm projection: the key to even lighting

The projection is the distance between the wall and the light source. It determines how far down the light reaches. An arm that is too short lights the top of the picture and leaves the bottom in shadow; an arm that is too long flattens the light and sticks out into the room.

A deep frame, with a moulding of 5 cm or more, also calls for a longer projection, otherwise its own relief casts a shadow on the top of the work. Models with an adjustable or articulated arm offer the flexibility you need; our guide to the wall light with an articulated arm details these mechanisms.

4. Fitting height and the 30 degree angle

A picture is generally centred between 145 and 160 cm from the floor, roughly at eye level. The light is fixed 5 to 15 cm above the top of the frame. The aim is for the light to hit the centre of the work at an angle of about 30 degrees to the wall.

This angle is not a random figure: any narrower and the light becomes grazing, bringing out every relief in the paint, sometimes too much; any wider and it reflects off the varnish or glass straight into the viewer's eyes. The principle of grazing light is explained in our article on direct, indirect and grazing light.

5. Beam and light source

For a picture light, you want a linear source: a row of LEDs or a tube, protected by a reflector that sends all the light towards the work. A point source, such as a single small bulb, creates a round patch that is brighter in the centre.

The beam must be wide horizontally to cover the full width, and open enough downwards. The principles are explained in our article narrow or wide beam. An adjustable head is a real plus: a few degrees of tilt are enough to correct a hot spot, as with an adjustable spotlight wall light.

6. Lumens, kelvins and CRI

A picture does not need a lot of light: it needs a little more light than the rest of the wall. A ratio of about three to one between the artwork and the ambient lighting is enough to make it stand out.

CRI is the most often overlooked criterion: an LED with a CRI of 80 makes the reds in a painting look washed out. Our article on the colour rendering index explains how to read it. For a black and white print or a graphic drawing, a slightly more neutral white, around 3500 K, can also work.

7. Protecting the artwork from heat and UV

Old halogen picture lights heated the top of the canvas and emitted ultraviolet light, which fades pigments and yellows paper. LEDs have solved most of this problem: they emit very little UV and give off little heat forwards. For a valuable work, a watercolour or an old print, stay careful: reasonable switch-on times, moderate brightness, and never direct sunlight on top of the picture light.

8. Photos under glass and posters: dealing with reflections

A print framed under glass or a poster under acrylic reflects light like a mirror. Two rules limit reflections: keep to the 30 degree angle, or slightly less, and place the source close enough to the frame so that its reflection goes towards the floor rather than into the eyes. Anti-reflective glass or museum glass remains the most radical solution for a very bright room.

In an arrangement of several frames, a single long light above the whole group rarely works. It is better to light the whole wall with wall lighting or to treat the gallery as a feature wall.

9. Wall mounting or frame mounting

Wall mounting is the most stable and lets you change the artwork without touching the light. Small frame-mounted models move with the picture, but only on a sturdy frame. In both cases, centre the light on the axis of the picture and make sure it is level: the slightest misalignment shows, as the two lines run parallel.

10. Power supply and switching

A recessed cable outlet above the picture gives the neatest result. Without building work, choose a plug-in wall lamp, with the cable hidden behind the frame.

For switching, a dimmer or a separate circuit lets you light the picture on its own, as ambient light. Check compatibility before connecting; the pitfalls are listed in wall lights and dimmers.

11. In short

A picture light measures between half and two thirds of the width of the frame, projects 10 to 35 cm depending on the height of the work and is fixed 5 to 15 cm above the frame, for light at about 30 degrees. Choose a linear LED, 2700 to 3000 K, CRI 90 or more, on a dimmer if possible. The rest is a matter of adjustment, torch in hand, before you drill.

Frequently asked questions