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How and where your art is displayed will have a direct effect on your future enjoyment as well as the artwork’s condition and longevity.

When hanging artwork you need to consider a number of issues.

  • Consider the area around the displayed artwork – will traffic or use of the room endanger the work?
  • Consider the hanging distance from the floor. People commonly hang their artwork too high. The centre of the piece should be 1.6 – 1.7 metres from the floor. This is the average person’s eye level and allows maximum appreciation of your artwork.
  • Never hang a single small artwork in the centre of a large wall space. Instead off-centre it.
  • Line the artwork up with any prominent horizontal lines nearby, such as the top of doorframes or window treatments.
  • If hanging artwork over a piece of furniture such as a sofa or desk, usually you can centre the artwork over the item. However this rule can be broken if the other elements in the room allow this: eg a tall floor lamp to one side of a sofa to balance out the placement of the artwork to one side.
  • Never hang artworks in direct sunlight or near heat or humid locations such as bathrooms. These are golden rules. If you do want to place a framed piece in your bathroom, visit Gallery 360 to find out about the ways we can frame your artwork to prevent water damage.
  • Never try to hang a large or heavy artwork by yourself. A large framed artwork with glass can be very heavy. If you attempt hanging large works of art alone, you can easily damage the art. Or yourself. Always carry it with the image side facing you.
  • Before hanging, examine the back of the painting to ensure that the hanging hardware is strong and secure. If the painting is framed, the hardware should be attached to the back of the frame, not to the stretcher bars. If a picture cord is used, attach a double strand of cord to the sides of the frame (not to the top edge) with “D” rings.
  • Gallery 360 recommends using two hooks when hanging an artwork, particularly for heavy or large pieces as this reduces the stress on the cord and anchor-points and makes it easier to hang the painting straight and keep it level.
  • Be sure that the method of hanging is sufficient for the weight of the artwork. Hang paintings using either a Gallery Hanging System or picture hooks (not nails) placed securely in the wall; a heavy picture requires two hooks.
  • Never use stick-on hooks, especially in hot or humid conditions. Heat and humidity may cause the hook to come off the wall, causing a lot of damage to your artwork.

Gallery 360 stocks a range of suitable wall and picture rail hooks. We also stock inexpensive Gallery Hanging Systems, which are ideal if you do not like drilling holes in your walls every time you wish to move artwork. An unobtrusive rail is screwed high up on the wall and clear nylon cords slide along it. It means you can add or remove wall hangings without affecting the wall and enables you to experiment with different hanging arrangements until you find the best one. The rail may be painted to match your wall colour. For more information on our hanging systems click here.

If the thought of hanging your artwork is daunting or the location difficult, remember that Gallery 360’s professional hanging service is only a phone call away!

For further information on how we can help you, and pricing, please click here.