Evening star., 1923-01-12
ART IN FRAMING AND HANGING
- PICTURES IN HOME IS NEEDED
Better to Have Few Works Well Chosen
and Properly Framed and Hung
Than Haphazard Roomful

N A ANY of us received dainty
1" pictures. as Christmas gifts.
Perhaps one was an etch-
ing, a dainty water color or
a choice print from one of the old
masters. Our chief thought is to find
the right place to hang it. and. If it
is unframed, to select the right frame
for it. We know that picture need
not he large or expensive in order
to add Il touch of beauty and culture
to a room. if certain simple, artistic
rules are followed.
Pictures upon which our eyes rest
daily have an influence on our lives.
For this reason it is better to have
a few that are we'll chosen and
properly framed and hung than to
have a roomful, with no special mean
ing, placed haphazard anywhere.
Choosing a Frame
While I frame should be chosen to
harmouize with Il picture. il should
not attract undue attention or be &C.
centric. The enriched mOldinS OF a
frame should diminish in Importance
as it approaches the picture. n
watcr-color picture should have
broader. fatter frame than one paint
cd in oil. and not be framed in heavy
silt with much burnish. Some pic
lures appear to best advantage
without any burnish at all in the
frames.
Landscape pictures in most cases
are better when placed in recessed
than in projecting frames. The color
of a mount should not appear to
blend with any part of the picture it
surrounds, and the gold in a frame
should hc toned to suit picture.
Some pictures are most effective when
framed in Il carved brown or black
wooden frame. with or without fine
lines Of gold added.
How TO Hang Your Pictures.
placc Your pictures in the best
light. The question of how to hang
them may resolve itself into this:
How. in a moderate-s sized room. SO to
arrange Il certain number of pictures
that individually each will he placed
In \ good light and how collectively
they Will contribute to the decorative
effect of the room. One solution will
be t. observe how much of the wall
SpaC" is sufficiently lighted to he
available for hanging pictures. The
hanging Of every picture should be a
matter of experiment. The size and
proportions of a picture and its color
and lines should determine its place
on wall, not the idea or subject por-
traycd in the picture. Separate pic
could he placed side by side on a wall
and yet be so treated as in no way to
destroy the harmonizing unity of a
room.
Do not hang punches of unrelated
pictures together. Zach picture should
hang alone in it's wall panel, or occa-
Sionally with one harmonious neigh
Dor. In no room should there he a
picture which approaches the color
or tone of the wall coloring behind
IL.
strong contrast from its back ground.
The best result is secured when pic
lures are hung over plain wall paper,
or paper with figure so unobtrusive
that it will not detract from the
charm of the pictures.
OF course, the character of the pic
tureS makes some difference. Delicate
etchlngS or paintings in soft colorS
should have quiet and reserved back
grounds, but more vigorous compost
tionS or paintings with strong con-
trastS of color will stand more promi-
ncnt backgrounds.
The size of a frame should be in
proportion to the size of the picture.
The height of u picture from the floor
should bC considered. Each picture
should hc very nearly centered on the
normal line of sight. about i've feet
from the floor. The mistake of hang
ing pictures too high is as common
as that of hanging them too low is
y
levels. decide upon the lower.
When they are hung on the line
of vision, Il tilted posture is unneces-
sary. They should hang perfectly fiat
against the wall. Large pictures
should hang on two chains running
We rtically to hooks on the picture
molding. Every one knows that
picture is not built into the wall, but
that it is hung from above. Why try,
then, to conceal this fact by using
tine wire and invisible picture hooks
Supporting chains or woven wires
heavy enough to give the impression
that they are well adapted to their
work would be much more impressive.
Use judgment and do not have a
chain too heavy or too light for the
picture.
With the usual arrangement of
screw eyes, a picture cannot hang
fat against the wall. For this reason
they should be put on the edge of
the frame, in plain sight, where they
will hold the picture fiat. They
should be dull black for dark wood
frames, brass for gilt frames, and
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