It [seems|appears} that after spending so much for a work of art such as a watercolor, for examplemany people just stop thinking of what is appropriate for it right afterwards, beyond hanging it in the wall. Hanging and art lighting the painting with picture frame lights becomes the end of the venture and no more is there but to gaze the painting. It may not be incorrect, but such is definitely lacking, in that with the mistaken lighting system, the painting will not endure as it should, nor be viewed itself in the optimum, well, light. All art lights are not equal.
Sun’s light?
Natural light —sunshine- is the optimum for vision, but not all the time for watercolors and other [works|pieces} of art. First, natural light is difficult to control. It can be bright one moment and cloudy the next, depending on the vagaries of the heavens. For another, its ultraviolet and infrared rays can do considerable damage to artworks, particularly watercolors, pastels and photos, and fabrics. The ultraviolet rays diminish the hues in a short time, quicker with unhindered sunlight, called bleaching which all of us are familiar with. It is hence not appropriate for all art.
Radiant light?
It has its positives and downsides as well. Incandescent lighting or those with strands that emit the light augment the hot tones yellow, orange, brown and red, but [renders|makes} the cooler hues rather flat. If the paintings or artworks are principally warm in color combinations, incandescent light might be appropriate. Another negative is its higher levels of temperature emission contrasted with alternative lighting systems because of the burning filament. The heat would, comparatively sooner than later, damage the artwork.
What about phosphor lighting?
Fluorescents produce light by making phosphors inside a glass tube glimmer with ultraviolet radiation from an inert gas and some vaporized mercury that are atomized with electric current. Because it is ultraviolet energy that makes the initial power, fluorescent lighting favors the cooler tones of the color spectrum: the blues and violets and greens, thus suppressing the other colors in comparison. Fluorescents understandably also emit high amounts of ultraviolet light which can damage paintings much like sunlight. Last, it does not release all colors of the light band, so that poses a whole new predicament for the showcase.
Is halogen lighting the most appropriate?
Halogen lighting is merely a variation of incandescent lighting that uses halogen gas to make the tungsten emanation of the filament stick back to the filament, prolonging lamp usability. The process however requires higher heat amounts, so a halogen lamp is comparatively hotter than different light producers. This can damage the art by dehydrating the oil and making it splinter, so museums use movement sensors to switch lights off and on as necessary.
So what is over-all most apt?
Until recently, light emitting diodes (LED) emit light only in primary colors. Chinese scientists some years ago mixed blue and yellow in the right blend to produce white, and white LEDs created a phenomenal explosion of applications, including lighting art pieces. It is white, low emission, has long life, no temperature and ray emissions to damage art, and is inexpensive. It being new, it is not as yet prevalent and still unproven over time. Still, it seems to be the best system for everyone and everything.
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