Light italics everything it touches

December 19, 2023 - Ilaria Gai

Whenever we discuss the essential requirements a home must have, light is mentioned. Because light is everything, it gives spaces a livable feel, warmth, and also influences our energy and mood. Whether natural or artificial, it's an element that must be carefully calibrated, balanced with shadows—which are rarely discussed but are essential—and chosen with care.

And how can we not talk about this very topic during a time of year like Christmas, when the element of brightness enters homes even more in a variety of forms.

You may be wondering what this has to do with the illustrations we usually talk about and their positioning, but I'll answer right away by saying that it has a lot to do with it. If light points clearly and decisively define the rooms of the house, then deciding whether or not to place a work near a light point profoundly changes its connotation.

The house in question is a splendid residence—and I use this term with all the meaning it deserves—in the heart of the city. A first-floor apartment in a graceful and elegant building, with coffered ceilings and a marvel that unfolds before guests' eyes as soon as they cross the threshold.

When working in a large and already perfectly characterized environment like this one, with its great charisma, positioning a work of art may not be easy, but the vastness of the space is capable of carving out corners of beauty ready to accommodate illustrations of various formats, styles, and themes.

And so a floor, a bookcase, a sideboard and a low shelf between two walls under an arch become ideal support points perfect for placing a work of art.

So, how can we use light to further enhance the illustrations we've chosen to include in the space? Let's look at four examples in detail.

The first image was placed at the foot of a wooden structure supporting greenery near an armchair. The corner itself is particularly evocative: the natural light coming from the large French window blends beautifully with the artificial lights positioned in that part of the room. Furthermore, a string of warm Christmas lights emphasizes the wintry theme addressed in the illustration. The result is a sort of luminous convergence on the work, as if with a few essential elements, including light, we had managed to create the impression of a stage.

The second, on the other hand, finds its natural home on a high shelf of a bookcase: I personally love it when artworks interact with books, as if the narrative of the pages could somehow slip out of the book and materialize in the image. The light that casts this particular light is the one positioned behind the bookcase. A long string of fairy lights lends atmosphere and an even more pronounced charm to the framed subject.

On the bed, the last wall, under a modern-design wall lamp that further highlights the portion below, we have an iconic image with social value, both decodable and powerful in leaving an essential and undoubtedly memorable imprint.

Another option without hanging is the one we experimented with in the fourth option: find a medium-height spot—here, a small niche between two walls—to create a corner that, once again, direct, diffused light can highlight.

From these few examples it is clear what the recentlight artconceptual and minimalist, 'light italicizes everything it touches' *.

Light is perceived as a means and not as the expressive end of the work itself, and serves precisely to stage the restitution of a concept. 'Light can be seen and looks at us... it is democratic, it makes no distinctions.' **

Light teaches us to look and see.

*cit. Billy Collins

** cit. Jacqueline Ceresoli

Ilaria Gai | Welcome Home Real Estate
www.welcomehome.travel