Preferred illumination for paintings

What is it about?

For the first time, the ideal correlated colour temperature (5000 K) of a cool-warm balanced illumination (neither bluish nor yellowish) for paintings is predicted from radiometry and colorimetry. Though higher CCT than previous traditional lighting, 5000 K using LED lamps is safe for paintings. It falls within the daylight range (4000-25,000 K), in which our colour vision evolved and in which one expects it to be most effective.

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Why is it important?

A cool-warm balanced illumination of 5000 K provides a white light that neither favours nor desaturates one colour (blue, green, yellow or red) over another. Previous studies have shown this CCT is associated with high clarity, brightness, contrast, colour discrimination, and colour diversity. Until quite recently, lower CCTs (3000 K or less) were preferred to minimize UV damage to paintings. But with LED lighting technology, higher CCTs are now safe for paintings.