Lighting for fine art is crucial. However, any painting or portrait cannot be held up by itself. Fine art lighting is essential for every masterpiece to display with museum-quality quality. Fine art lighting is specifically made for this individual. They are larger and more powerful than general lighting fixtures. Fine art lighting can be manufactured in many styles, materials, and lamping options. These options include simple, battery powered cordless photo lights up to high-end fine art lighting projectors.
Lighting for Fine Art
Efficiency ranges equally from the low to the high end. Some fine art lighting fixtures shouldn’t be used other than for general printing lighting or photography lighting at public events. You’ll find out why soon.
Why are paintings not allowed to be displayed in glassed rooms?
Because sunlight is the worst source of art lighting. Even though it is the light we all depend on to see beauty and the various colors of nature, the UV radiation that the sun emits can cause severe skin damage. Our skin can get sunburned by UV radiation. However, canvases and sensitive oils will be more severely affected if they are exposed to sunlight for prolonged periods of time.
The natural lighting spectrum also includes infrared. Although it is not as dangerous as UV light, it can still have adverse effects on oils and canvas. Infrared heat waves are extremely hot and can dry out oil, causing it to crack.
The universal image of the Renaissance artist, with his brush in hand and a canvas in his hands, standing by an Italian River, isn’t it?
It is an excellent choice for a painting, provided that it is protected from the sun and placed under fine art accent lighting fixtures to preserve it as a symbol of enlightenment.
Can incandescent lamps be used as fine art light sources?
Yes and no. Incandescent lamps are great for warm colors like red, orange and yellow. Incandescent picture lighting has the opposite effect on cool colors, such as blue, green and violet. These lights make them flat.
If you are new to fine-art collecting and want to buy fine art lights, we recommend that you think twice before you purchase incandescent. Legislation will most likely force them out, much like in California. The industry has moved away from halogen and incandescent-based light sources to LED. LED lighting offers many benefits, including energy efficiency and long-lasting use.
Can an energy efficient fluorescent light be used as lighting for fine art?
We don’t recommend it. Larger commercial fluorescent lights are highly rated on the CRI (color rendering indicator), but smaller lamps with internal balances only render a fraction of the spectrum, making them incompatible for the color palette. Even more concerning is the fact fluorescent lights emit ultraviolet radiations, just like the sun. They will also destroy any paintings they illuminate.
Phantom Fine Art Lighting Projectors
Phantom Contour Projectors are ideal for fine art lighting. They feature excellent optics and accurate photometric data. These projectors have LED light engines that produce an exceptional quality of luminance, the “lighted from inside effect”. Due to their small size and absence of exposed wiring, Phantom lighting for fine art projectors make it easy to install.
This illumination device for fine art features a concentric parabolic reflector with a 3000K Cree led chip. This fixture’s typical rated life is approximately 30,000+ hours. This allows the collectors of precious paintings to have plenty of time before needing to service it. The SM, or surface mount projector series, is the perfect choice for all types of fine art lighting. This projector’s sleek design makes it easy to highlight brush stroke details. Phantom projector fixtures ensure that your frames will be cared for so they don’t get damaged.
Call us at 800-863-1184 for literature requests online. You can also visit our lighting for fine art resources for more information about Phantom custom-low voltage lighting products. For information on custom lighting products, your local Phantom lighting agent is available.