398 PICTURES

HANGING PICTURES

Pictures should not usually be hung just to fill up empty wall
spaces, for unfilled areas are not undesirable. A picture should
be hung over and close to some definite article or articles of furni-
ture to build up a composition, uniting the wall and the furniture.
On page 24 the upper room shows the right way of hanging pic-
tures and the lower room shows the wrong way. Pictures are
hung4ncorrectly if the result is a line of pictures above and a line
of furniture below. However, unity is promoted if the upper
lines of all the pictures are about even. Pictures should be hung
low, not above the eye level of a standing person.

Small pictures are usually hung in groups so that the total effect
is in scale with the furniture. For example, one or two rows of
prints would look well above a long, low chest or a sofa but a
single print "Would not be usable there. See page 421. All the
pictures in a group should be related in color and subject matter.
It is usually desirable to leave less space between the pictures than
the width of the pictures themselves. Sometimes an inconspicuous
textile or paper can serve as a background for a group of small
pictures. Pictures should not be hung in step-up fashion because
this makes the arrangement more noticeable than the pictures
themselves. Small pictures like silhouettes are unfortunately
often hung near the fireplace, which is entirely unrelated to them
in scale.

Pictures should be hung as flat as possible so that they will seem
like a part of the wall. If the screw eyes are placed near the top
of a frame it will usually hang flat. It is best to hang pictures
blind with no wire showing at all. If a picture must he hung
from the molding, it is well to have two hooks, one on each end
of a long wire that passes across the back of the picture through
two screw eyes. In this way the picture can be easily adjusted
and the triangle of wire avoided. The hooks and wires can be
painted to match the wall so that they will be inconspicuous.

During the Victorian period a great many pictures of all sizes
were hung in the same room; unfortunately some of the older gen-
eration even now continue this fashion, which is illustrated on
page 101. Ordinarily one important picture and possibly two
somewhat smaller ones are sufficient in a living room. See page 59.