Pictures can be hung in a group if they are not sufficiently large

Perhaps the most troublesome problem in decorating with pictures is how and where to hang them. Viewing conditions must be arranged with one common denominator in mind ? a picture is meant to be the focal point of attention. If the picture has something to say, it should be allowed to say it.

Eye level

If possible, a picture should be hung at eye level while standing. This means the centre of the picture will come about five feet five inches above the floor ? the eye level of a person of average height.

Deviation from this should be downward because it is easier to look down than up. Either way, the deviation should be slight. Moreover, pictures are quite frequently viewed from a seated position.

The design of a room may place its demands on positioning of a picture. Greater coordination of space is accomplished when isolated objects such as pictures are rhythmically grouped with other items such as furniture so as to make a larger whole. If a piece of furniture is extremely high, it is best not to hang pictures above it.

The wall connection

Light pictures are usually best hung on fairly light walls, and dark pictures on dark walls or in dark corners, except when, for balance, one hangs a dark picture over a dark piece of furniture. For the sake of shape harmony, tall pictures should be hung in vertical wall spaces, and broad pictures in horizontal wall spaces.

The usual position for a picture is flat on a wall, not tipped forward. Experimental set-ups on free-standing supports are reasonable only when the two-dimensional character of a picture is not violated. The picture should then be hung in such a way that the wires and hooks that support it are inconspicuous.

In successful picture arrangement, the design principle of ‘emphasis’ is important. If pictures are to be enjoyed, there must be plenty of space around them. Too much space, however, results in meagreness and inadequacy.

Set in panels

The wall plan of a space should be considered while hanging a picture. If walls are well-defined in panels (as is commonly found in offices), the picture placement should be considered in relation to the panel on which it is hung. The picture proportion should vary slightly from that of the panel. The margin of space below the picture is generally smaller than that above the picture.

That may seem to be a violation of the rule for margins in picture matting. Here, however, larger areas are being handled and the guiding factor becomes the fact that the eye muscles are less strained when the picture is hung low.

An attempt is made today to treat the entire wall as one unbroken plane surface that may even project beyond the boundaries of the room. Thus walls are given a horizontal emphasis and are connected rhythmically with all the other wall surfaces in view.

In such a situation, a picture is placed so as to aid the kind of rhythm and balance that is planned for the area.

Picture grouping

Occasionally, one sees unique arrangements. For instance, several pictures are hung as a group. This is sometimes done when a picture is not sufficiently large for a position.

The first thing to observe here is that the pictures are in harmony. A painting that shows a broad and bold technique should never be placed near a fine and delicate one. In grouping pictures, the expression of the individual picture is somewhat lost in the expression of the group. Therefore, pictures so grouped should be similar in character, and the import of the pictures will be less obscured if its character is more decorative than meaningful.

Sometimes pictures are arranged in a vertical or a horizontal border. In such an arrangement, the value of any individual picture that falls outside the range of vision is practically nullified. The whole arrangement must gain in pattern decorativeness if this loss is justifiable.

A stepladder arrangement of pictures should be handled with caution. The pictures may become stepping stones to carry the eye towards the ceiling. If a larger picture is placed in the centre and a step-down as well as a step-up arrangement is planned, the eye may be kept where it belongs.

The trouble with some picture arrangements is not that the pictures are poorly placed but that they are of the wrong size for their design purpose. To make a picture more sizeable for a space, it may be hung on a cloth wall hanging of larger size. Such a hanging can make a good backdrop to a piece of sculpture. Sometimes a wall stencil can be used to frame a group of small pictures.

Three-question test

Ask the following questions to judge your picture arrangement.

• Has each picture found a place in the room because it helps beautify and complete a group?

• Are the pictures hung low enough to form a unit with the furniture?

• Are the pictures all hung at about the same level in the room so as to avoid a jagged line upon the walls?

The author is a senior faculty member at J.D. Birla Institute (Calcutta), where she has been delivering lectures, guiding research and conducting projects in housing and interior design for over 20 years. An interior design consultant, she specialises in ergonomics at home and work. She can be contacted at kusumsmail@yahoo.com