Shedding light on art

What is the most common mistake people make when illuminating art at home?
– Generally, all rooms have too few light points, and I think the most common mistake is not lighting the art at all. By illuminating art hanging on the walls, you open up the room. The illuminated pieces become like small windows, creating a sense of spaciousness that makes the room feel bigger.

What type of light source and luminaire should you choose?
– I always recommend spotlights, preferably ones that are dimmable and that allow you to cut the spread of light. It's hard to be more specific than that because it depends so much on the type of work you have, how the other lighting in the room looks and, above all, what kind of feeling you want to create. All these factors come into play when choosing lighting for your art at home.

How does the temperature of the light affect the perception of the artworks?
– Temperature has a huge impact on the experience of the artwork. As a simplified example, think about what different filters do to an Instagram image. Similarly, light temperature affects the perception of an artwork. For the best reproduction of the work, you should aim for a white, cool light, i.e. as high a temperature as possible. Sometimes we may not want to reproduce the work correctly, in which case we can experiment more with the temperature.

How should you think about the position and direction of light in relation to the work?
– I would focus on highlighting the artwork from the front. Of course, some art is better lit from other angles, but straight on is generally a good rule. If you have the opportunity, I think you should get help from an expert to get it right.