Evaluation method for the color preference of lighting traditional Chinese paintings in museum based on light source spectral analysis

Abstract

To evaluate the lighting color preference on traditional Chinese paintings based on the spectral power distributions (SPDs) of light sources, an experiment to examine the color preference of 40 representative SPDs illuminating two typical traditional Chinese paintings was performed in a 1:1 simulated exhibition hall. By decomposing the data, the influence trend from the different narrowband spectra on the color preference was obtained, and two key spectra with a significant influence on the color preference were determined (WLP = 425 nm with FWHM = 20 nm and WLP = 525 nm with FWHM = 30 nm). With an evaluation model using the relative spectral areas of S425 and S525, the calculation of the lighting color preference for traditional Chinese painting illumination based on SPD was achieved. Our results could provide a mathematical tool for the comparison and selection of light sources for the illumination of traditional Chinese paintings and the development and design of specific light sources.

Keywords

• Museum light environment
• Chinese painting lighting
• Color preference
• Spectral power distribution
• Light source evaluation