By Reece Knight, KES Lighting & Home. Last updated 29 September 2026.
Start with the artwork, then choose the width and output of the picture light.
In the KES range, picture lights run from around 350mm to 760mm wide. A 350mm light and a 760mm light are different jobs.
After width, look at colour rendering, brightness, adjustment and how the fitting is wired.
Key takeaways
- Measure the artwork and compare it with the actual width of the fitting. We would rather use real dimensions than pretend one percentage works for every frame.
- Colour rendering matters. Astro's Mondrian picture lights are CRI 90, while the Goya range is CRI 80.
- Brightness and colour accuracy are different jobs. The Goya produces far more light than the Mondrian of a similar width.
- KES's current picture-light range is mains powered. A new wall point should be installed by a registered electrician.
- Check whether the fitting has an integrated LED, takes replaceable lamps or needs a separate driver before you order.
What size picture light do I need?
Measure the frame first, then look at the actual width of the picture light.
We do not use one fixed percentage for every picture. A narrow portrait, a wide landscape and a group of prints need different treatment, even if the outer frame dimensions happen to be similar.
The fittings themselves show how wide the choice is.
| Picture light | Width | What we would use it for |
|---|---|---|
| Elstead Alton Small LED | 388mm | A smaller or medium single artwork where you want a restrained fitting |
| Astro Mondrian 400 | 400mm | Medium artwork where colour rendering matters |
| Astro Goya 460 | 460mm | Medium to larger artwork where you need more light |
| Astro Mondrian 600 | 600mm | Wider artwork where colour accuracy matters more than sheer output |
| Elstead Chawton Large | 652mm | Wider traditional artwork or frames where the fitting is meant to be seen |
| Astro Goya 760 | 760mm | Large or wide artwork, particularly where you need more output |
Those are fitting widths, not rules for frame width.
Use them to judge scale against the actual picture on your wall.
A 760mm bar above a small portrait will dominate it. A 388mm fitting above a wide oil painting can look lost before you even switch it on.
Measure both.
Where should a picture light go?
Position the light in relation to the artwork, rather than treating it like an ordinary wall light.
The job is to put useful light onto the picture without making the fitting itself the thing you notice first.
Exact spacing depends on the frame depth, the projection of the light and how much adjustment the fitting gives you.
That is why we prefer adjustable picture lights where the artwork is behind glass or the wall position is not forgiving. The ability to change the direction of the light is more useful than chasing one fixed mounting dimension.
Do not apply the normal 1.5 to 1.7 metre wall-light height rule blindly to a picture light. The artwork sets the position.
For a new mains position, get the artwork on the wall first if you can. Then the electrician has something real to work from.
Is there a rule of thumb for picture-light width?
Use the frame and the beam you need, rather than buying from a percentage alone.
There are plenty of neat picture-light ratios quoted online. We would rather give you the actual dimensions of the fittings we sell and ask you to compare them with the picture.
That matters because two lights of roughly the same width can behave very differently.
The Astro Mondrian 400 and Goya 460 are reasonably close in physical width. Their output is not close at all.
The Mondrian prioritises colour rendering. The Goya gives you much more light.
Width gets the fitting into proportion.
Output decides what happens when you switch it on.
Do picture lights need wiring?
The picture lights currently sold by KES are mains powered.
That means a wall-mounted fitting needs an electrical supply at the installation point. If there is no existing supply, fitting a new wall point is a job for a registered electrician.
KES does not currently sell a battery or rechargeable picture light.
Do not buy a mains fitting expecting it to solve a no-wiring room.
There is another detail worth checking with Astro's Mondrian range. Some versions are wall mounted and connect directly to mains power. Other frame-mounted 12V versions require a separate driver.
If the product says DRIVER REQUIRED, treat the driver as part of the fitting job, not an optional extra.
Should I choose LED or a lamp-based picture light?
We would start with the artwork.
For colour-sensitive work, look at CRI as well as brightness.
The Astro Mondrian 400 and 600 use integrated 2700K LEDs with a CRI of 90. That makes them the stronger choice in this group when accurate colour rendering matters.
The Astro Goya range is also 2700K, with CRI 80, but it produces considerably more light.
The Goya 460 is rated at 821 lumens.
The Goya 760 is rated at 1,109 lumens.
By comparison, the Mondrian 400 sits around 127 to 161 lumens depending on finish, while the Mondrian 600 is around 214 to 219 lumens.
That makes the choice fairly straightforward.
If we were lighting a large, dark oil on a high wall, we would look at the Goya.
If colour fidelity mattered more than sheer output, we would look at the Mondrian.
Traditional fittings such as the Elstead Chawton use replaceable E14 lamps instead. The light output and colour then depend on the lamp you fit.
Do not assume 'LED picture light' automatically means better. Check what the LED is actually doing.
Warm white vs cool white LED →
What colour temperature should a picture light be?
For artwork in a living room, dining room or hallway, 2700K is our normal starting point.
It sits comfortably with the warm white light we already recommend in rooms used in the evening.
The Astro Goya and Mondrian products in this guide are both 2700K.
Elstead's Alton LED picture lights are listed at 3000K, so they will read a little cleaner and less warm beside them.
With an E14 fitting such as the Chawton, the colour temperature depends on the lamp you choose.
If the rest of the room is on 2700K, we would normally keep the picture light there too rather than creating an isolated cooler patch on the wall.
Does CRI matter for a picture light?
Yes, if the colour in the artwork matters.
For art, we would choose CRI 90 where the option exists.
CRI tells you how faithfully a light source renders colour compared with a reference source. Higher matters when the reds, greens, blues and skin tones in the artwork are part of the reason you bought it.
The Astro Mondrian is CRI 90.
The Goya is CRI 80.
So if accurate colour rendering is the priority, we would choose the Mondrian.
The Goya earns its place for a different reason: output.
The Goya 460 produces 821 lumens, while the Mondrian 400 sits around 127 to 161 lumens depending on finish. For a large, dark painting or a high wall where you simply need much more light, that extra output can matter more.
Choose the Mondrian for colour accuracy.
Choose the Goya when the main problem is getting enough light onto the artwork.
What is CRI colour rendering index →
Which picture lights would we start with?
Astro Mondrian 600
The one we would start with when colour accuracy matters.
At 600mm wide, with 2700K integrated LED and CRI 90, the Mondrian gives a wide, restrained line of light without throwing an enormous amount of illumination at the artwork.
It suits work you want to see properly rather than simply make brighter.
Astro Goya 460
Use the Goya when you need more light.
At 460mm wide and 821 lumens, it produces several times the output of the Mondrian of a similar size.
For a darker painting or a wall where the artwork has to compete with more ambient light, that difference matters.
Astro Goya 760
The larger Goya is 760mm wide and rated at 1,109 lumens.
We would reserve that scale for a genuinely large or wide piece rather than trying to make a small picture feel important with an oversized fitting.
Elstead Chawton Large
The Chawton is the traditional route.
The Large version is 652mm wide and uses replaceable E14 lamps rather than an integrated LED.
That makes the lamp choice part of the specification. Choose the colour temperature and output deliberately rather than treating the bulb as an afterthought.
The aged brass version is particularly easy to use over traditional frames and warmer interiors.
Elstead Alton Large LED
The Alton takes a different route again.
At 674mm wide, it uses integrated LED at 3000K and has an adjustable head.
We would consider it where you want a wider contemporary fitting and a slightly cleaner colour of light than the 2700K Astro options.
Are picture lights worth it?
Yes, when the artwork matters after dark.
A picture light gives a painting, photograph or print a job in the evening rather than letting it disappear once the main room lights come on.
It also adds another low-level source of light to the room.
We would skip one where there is nothing worth lighting, where the wiring would become disproportionate to the result, or where an oversized fitting would compete with the artwork.
The picture should earn the light.
Can I use a smart bulb in a picture light?
Only where the fitting takes a replaceable lamp and the smart bulb physically fits.
Some traditional picture lights use E14 lamps. A smart E14 lamp still needs to fit underneath the hood and stay within the fitting's rated wattage.
Integrated LED fittings such as the Astro Goya and Mondrian do not take a separate smart bulb.
Check the individual fitting rather than assuming 'E14' is the whole answer.
Can one picture light cover two pictures?
Sometimes, but we would treat two separate frames as two objects unless they clearly read as one composition.
A wide fitting over a tightly grouped pair can work if the light reaches both evenly.
Two pictures spaced apart usually look more deliberate with separate lighting or with ceiling accent lighting aimed at each piece.
Do not stretch one small picture light across a wide group simply to avoid fitting another one.
Frequently asked questions
What size picture light should I use?
Measure the artwork and compare it with the actual width of the fitting. We do not use one fixed percentage for every frame because a narrow portrait, wide landscape and grouped set of prints need different treatment. KES picture lights currently run from around 350mm to 760mm wide.
Do picture lights need wiring?
The picture lights currently sold by KES are mains powered. If there is no electrical supply at the artwork, adding a new wall point is a job for a registered electrician. Some frame-mounted Astro Mondrian versions also require a separate 12V driver, so check the exact product before ordering.
What colour temperature is best for a picture light?
For artwork in a living room, dining room or hallway, we normally start at 2700K so the picture light sits comfortably with the rest of the evening lighting. Some fittings differ, including Elstead's Alton at 3000K, so check the product rather than assuming every picture light is the same.
Can I use a Philips Hue or other smart bulb in a picture light?
Only if the picture light uses a replaceable lamp and the smart bulb physically fits beneath the hood while staying within the fitting's rating. Integrated LED fittings such as the Astro Goya and Mondrian do not take a separate smart bulb.
What should I check before buying a picture light?
Check five things:
- the width of the artwork
- the width of the fitting
- the light output
- the colour temperature and CRI
- how it is powered
Then check whether it is adjustable and whether it needs a separate driver.
That is enough to rule out most wrong choices before anyone drills the wall.
