Featured: Perforated Hood Picture Light
I paint, so I am particular about how a canvas is lit. Overhead recessed lights flatten a painting and leave glare across the top of the frame, and a lamp on a console lights the console. A picture light does one job: it puts a low, warm wash right on the surface of the work, close enough to bring out the brushwork and the depth of the color. In the evening, when the room is lit by lamps, a lit painting becomes the thing you see first.
Brass is the finish I come back to, because it warms the light and it sits naturally against gilt frames, old wood and painted walls. It also comes in more versions than people realize. Some picture lights are solid brass. Many more are steel or aluminum with a brass-colored finish on top, and the finish names (antique brass, aged brass, burnished brass, hand-rubbed antique brass) tell you about color, not what the fixture is made of. Under each light below I've noted the finish so you know what you're getting, and I've marked the solid brass ones.
Below are 33 brass picture lights in three price tiers, including plug-in, battery-operated and hardwired options. First, the rules I use for sizing and placement on projects.
Design: Louise Roe
How to Choose a Brass Picture Light
Get these four things right and the light will look like it belongs to the painting.
Width: A picture light should be about half to two thirds the width of the frame. Too short and the light falls off at the edges of the canvas; too long and it competes with the frame. A 30-inch frame takes roughly a 16 to 20-inch light.
Arm length: Measure the depth of the frame. A deep gilt frame needs a longer arm to get the light past the top edge of the frame and onto the canvas. A flat or shallow frame can take a short arm.
Power: Hardwired lights need a junction box behind the painting, which is easiest to add during a renovation. Plug-in lights run a cord down the wall that you can hide with a cord cover painted to match. Battery and rechargeable lights skip the wiring entirely and are the right answer for renters and for walls you don't want to open.
Light color: Choose a warm color temperature, 2700K to 3000K, and look for a dimmer. Old oils and anything with a lot of gold or red look best with warm light, and LEDs give off very little heat, which is better for the paint.
Design: Antonino Buzzetta
The Best Brass Picture Lights Under $250
The easy ones. Several of these plug in, and one is solid brass from a small maker on Etsy. For a print in a hallway, a painting in a guest room or a first try at lighting art, any of these will do the job.
Gooseneck Plug-In LED Picture Light - $59.99
The gooseneck arm and round backplate give this one more presence than its price suggests. It plugs in or hardwires, and it dims, which matters more than people think over a dark oil.
Finish: Brass-tone finish over metal.
24-Inch Rope-Detail LED Picture Light - $63.58
The knurled end caps are the detail that sold me. At 24 inches it suits a mid-size canvas over a console or a bed, and the LED tube runs cool against the paint.
Finish: Vintage brass finish.
Plug-In LED Picture Light with Adjustable Arm - $66.99
A plain cylinder on a hinged arm, which is exactly what you want when the light should disappear and the painting should not. The cord is white, so plan a cord cover painted to the wall.
Finish: Brass finish.
Hooded Gallery Picture Light - $69.99
The deep hood is an old library shape, and it throws a softer wash than an open tube. I would hang it over a small framed print in a hallway or a powder room.
Finish: Antique brass finish.
Swing-Arm LED Picture Light with Finial Ends - $84.99
The little finials on each end make it look more traditional than most lights at this price. You can switch the color temperature, so set it warm, around 2700K, for paintings.
Finish: Brass finish.
Slim LED Cylinder Picture Light - $100.00
A clean, slim cylinder that works over modern art as easily as an old landscape. It is a lot of light for the money.
Finish: Brass finish.
Solid Brass Plug-In Gooseneck Picture Light - $111.81
Made by a small Etsy shop, and it is the piece in this tier I would buy for myself. The gooseneck has a nice old-fashioned curve, and the aged surface looks like it has been on the wall for years.
Finish: Solid brass, aged.
Curved-Arm LED Picture Light - $126.65
The arm curves down from a small square backplate, so the light sits well out from the frame. That reach helps with a deep gilt frame that would otherwise throw a shadow on the top of the canvas.
Finish: Brass finish.
Angled LED Picture Light - $139.65
The squared, angled hood is more architectural than the usual tube. It suits a contemporary photograph or a print in a simple black frame.
Finish: Brass finish.
Tapered Canoe Picture Light - $182.00
The shallow canoe-shaped hood is a pretty, slightly Regency profile. It is a good size for a portrait or a small still life above a chest of drawers.
Finish: Aged brass finish.
Featured: Tray-Back Picture Light
The Best Brass Picture Lights, $250 to $700
This is where the shapes get more interesting and the construction improves: double arms, molded backplates, finials, longer reaches and better finishes. It is the tier I shop most often for clients, and it includes a battery-operated option with no cord at all.
Battery-Operated Slim-Line Picture Light - $314.50
This is the answer for anyone who rents, or who has a painting on a wall with no outlet and no plan to open it up. It runs on batteries with no cord at all, and it is slim enough not to fight the frame.
Finish: Brass finish.
Hooded Picture Light with Molded Backplate - $334.99
The molded backplate and the deep hood make this one look like it came with an old house. I like it over a landscape in a dining room.
Finish: Brass finish.
Knurled Cylinder LED Picture Light - $349.00
Knurled end caps and a solid rectangular backplate, with an integrated LED behind a diffuser. It is a tailored look that works in a study or library.
Finish: Brass finish.
Slim-Line Picture Light with Wire Arms - $353.60
Two thin wire arms hold the tube well forward of the frame, so it barely registers from across the room. A good pick when the art is the star and the light should step back.
Finish: Polished brass finish.
24-Inch Burnished Brass Picture Light - $381.65
A clean tube on a single angled arm. It is simple enough for a modern room and the burnished brass keeps it warm.
Finish: Burnished brass finish.
Swivel LED Picture Light with Round Backplate - $398.00
The round backplate and swivel arm let you aim it exactly where the light needs to fall. I pictured a row of them over three bright paintings in a garden room, and they hold their own with color.
Finish: Brass finish.
30-Inch Double-Arm Picture Light - $424.15
Two arms and a 30-inch tube make it the right width for a larger canvas over a sofa or sideboard. A picture light should be about half to two thirds the width of the frame, and this one covers the bigger pieces.
Finish: Listed in aged iron, shown here in brass. Check the finish options on the product page before you order.
Patinated Brass Bar Light - $479.20
It is sold as a vanity light, but the proportions and the mottled patina read as an old picture light. I would put it over a small, dark oil in a powder room, where the double duty makes sense.
Finish: Patinated brass finish.
Plug-In Double-Arm Picture Light - $552.00
Two arms on a rectangular backplate, with a cord so you can skip the electrician. It is a classic shape in a clean brass.
Finish: Brass finish.
Double-Arm Picture Light with Rectangular Backplate - $559.00
A traditional double-arm light with nicely detailed knuckles. Over a portrait in a dining room, this is the shape most people picture when they think of a picture light.
Finish: Brass finish.
24-Inch Cabinet Maker's Picture Light - $649.00
Two small square backplates and a long, plain tube. It looks like something a cabinetmaker would have fitted in a library, which is the point.
Finish: Listed in antique nickel. The hand-rubbed antique brass shown here is solid brass, so choose that option on the product page.
Finial-End Cylinder Picture Light - $660.00
The turned finials on each end give it a little bit of Regency polish. It is a handsome choice over a gilt-framed landscape.
Finish: Brass finish.
Featured: Caged Cylinder Picture Light
The Best Brass Picture Lights Over $700
The investment pieces, mostly from Visual Comfort, Hudson Valley and Troy. Hand-rubbed finishes, heavier construction, a frame-mounted option and a cordless one. If you are lighting a painting you plan to live with for a long time, start here.
Caged Cylinder Picture Light - $736.00
The tube sits inside a slim brass cage, which gives it more architecture than a plain cylinder. I pictured it over an old landscape in a hallway with blue floral wallpaper, and it held the wall.
Finish: Brass finish.
Open Hood Picture Light - $798.00
The hood is open at the front so you can see the bulbs, which gives off a soft, old-fashioned glow. It feels a little more decorative than most and looks good even when it is off.
Finish: Natural brass finish.
Long-Arm Picture Light with Round Backplate - $829.00
A long, elegant reach from a small round backplate. This is the one for a tall canvas, where the light needs to sit well out from the top of the frame.
Finish: Listed in polished nickel, shown here in brass. Check the finish options on the product page before you order.
Frame-Mount Picture Light - $849.00
This one mounts to the frame instead of the wall, which is how picture lights were originally hung. It is the right choice when the painting moves, or when you can't put a junction box exactly where the art needs to go.
Finish: Solid brass in a hand-rubbed antique brass finish.
Perforated Hood Picture Light - $893.00
The row of small perforations along the hood is a lovely detail, and it lets a little light escape along the edge. It is my lead image for a reason. Over an old portrait, it looks exactly right.
Finish: Brass finish.
Tray-Back Picture Light - $899.00
A flat brass tray behind the tube bounces light forward onto the canvas. It is quiet and well made, and it works over abstract art as well as it does over something old.
Finish: Solid brass in a hand-rubbed antique brass finish.
Shell Picture Light - $940.00
A single curved shell of brass with the light tucked behind it. It is very simple and very tailored, a good match for modern art in a traditional room.
Finish: Brass finish.
Cordless 18-Inch Picture Light - $999.00
The cordless version of a classic cabinetmaker's light, powered by a battery. It is the investment pick for anyone who wants a real picture light without hiring an electrician.
Finish: Listed in antique nickel. The hand-rubbed antique brass shown here is solid brass, so choose that option on the product page.
Low-Profile Blade Picture Light - $999.00
A thin, flat blade of brass on a single square backplate. It is a contemporary piece, and it suits a gallery wall or a large photograph.
Finish: Brass finish.
Knurled End Cap Picture Light - $1,109.00
The textured end caps and the curved bracket give this one a jewelry quality. It is a statement piece, so give it a painting that can carry it.
Finish: Brass finish.
Open-Frame Cylinder Picture Light - $1,399.00
The cylinder hangs inside an open square frame with exposed screws, a very architectural look. It reads like a piece of hardware from an old museum, which I love.
Finish: Listed in bronze. The hand-rubbed antique brass shown here is solid brass, so choose that option on the product page.
Featured: Swivel LED Picture Light
How to Style a Brass Picture Light
Hang it high enough: Mount the backplate a few inches above the top of the frame, and angle the arm so the light lands on the canvas, not on the wall above it. Test the position with the light on before you commit to holes in the wall.
Hide the cord: A cord cover painted the same color as the wall makes a plug-in light look nearly hardwired. Run it straight down behind a console or a chest where possible.
Repeat it in a series: Three matching lights over three paintings hung in a row look intentional and calm, like a small gallery. Keep the lights the same size even if the paintings vary slightly.
Mix it with lamps: A picture light should be one layer, not the only light. Put a pair of lamps on the console below the painting so the wall is lit from two levels, and the room feels warmer.
Let the brass age: Brass with no lacquer will darken and develop a patina over time, which I love on a picture light. If you want that, look for unlacquered or living finishes. My unlacquered brass sconces guide explains how they change and how to care for them.
Brass Picture Lights: Frequently Asked Questions
What size picture light do I need?
Choose a light about half to two thirds the width of the frame. For a 30-inch frame, look for a 16 to 20-inch light. Wide canvases may need a longer light or two lights side by side.
Can I install a picture light without hardwiring?
Yes. Plug-in picture lights run a cord to an outlet, and battery-operated or rechargeable lights need no wiring at all. Both are good options for renters or for walls without a junction box.
Are picture lights bad for paintings?
Old halogen and incandescent picture lights gave off heat and UV light that could damage paint over time. Modern LED picture lights run cool and give off very little UV, so they are much safer for art. Keep them on a dimmer and don't leave them on all day.
Is brass the right finish for a picture light?
Brass is the traditional choice and it warms the light on the canvas. It suits gilt and wood frames especially well. For a black or white modern frame, a brass light still works, and it adds warmth to a cool painting.
Finish the Wall Around It
A picture light is the finishing touch on a wall that is already working. The console under the painting, the lamps on top of it and the wall behind it all do as much as the light does.
If you are building out that wall, my table lamps and pleated lamp shades are made for a console under art, my removable wallpaper gives a painting a patterned ground to hang on, and my original area rugs finish the room underneath. For the piece below the art, my sculptural console tables roundup is a good place to start.
- xoko
