Welcome to Eurolux Pty Limited importer and distributor of light fittings and light sources in southern africa. We offer outstanding quality, choice, and an extensive range of lighting solutions. Our unique lighting experience showrooms offer your company or home energy saving lighting throughout the southern tip of africa.

:: Illuminating Artwork

The purpose of lighting a feature is to create a focal point of either a sculpture, painting or ornament.

Generally two types of light are used to illuminate artwork:

a) Mains voltage (240V) Halogen, Candle bulbs, and strip lights

b) Low voltage (12V) Halogen bulbs

Many prefer low voltage halogen lighting for pictures because they emit a whiter light than mains voltage with very little colour distortion, so that colours appear more "real" and impressive. This is particularly evident with a black and white picture. Incandescent lighting tends to make the black look grey and the white look off-white, so the overall effect is a grey, dull picture.

GLS (General Lighting Service) are your standard light bulbs that become hot to the touch. They give off a warm glow that will distort colours by emphasising the warmer side of the spectrum, such as reds and yellows, which can work well for contemporary art.

Positioning your lights is extremely important, but a point to remember is that pictures reflect light. Incoming light bounces off a picture at the same angle as outgoing light. The width of the beam, as well as the angle of the light, must be taken into consideration when planning your lighting. Generally a 24º beam is best for highlighting a piece of artwork – you will probably have to ask specifically for this lamp since most lighting shops stock the more common 38º beam lamp.

The size of your picture also determines the placement of your fittings. A bigger picture requires the light source to be further away so that the degree of the beam is wider to illuminate the entire artwork. If you place the light too far away, it will illuminate the picture plus the surrounding wall, resulting in your expensive artwork losing impact.

Remember, there is a difference in the intensity of the beam at the light source, compared to when it hits the picture. A larger picture requires a greater intensity of light and therefore you either need to use a bigger globe or ideally use two fittings so that the picture can be lit from both sides to achieve maximum effect.

Mirrors

Some people make the mistake of assuming that mirrors should be lit in the same way as paintings. In fact, the opposite is true; instead of shining light onto the mirror, you should shine light away from it. This will illuminate the frame of the mirror instead of reflecting the light (glare) of the fitting.