Brass is the classic picture light, the one you picture in a wood-paneled study, and it is still the one I would choose over most art. It warms up the light and it looks right against almost any frame.

Mercer41's Rhyus is solid brass with a head that rotates, so you can aim the light exactly where you want it. Orren Ellis's 15.75 inch plug-in light and Wade Logan's dimmable light are the same compact size, good for a medium print. Eurus Home's 10W dimmable light is a little brighter for a large canvas or a dark painting. Rosdorf Park's Mendee mounts to the wall and dims, and Alcott Hill's frame mount light clamps to the frame itself, no holes in the wall. Wrought Studio has two: the Brody, which is hardwired for a permanent, cordless look, and a 15.75 inch light with a remote.

A few things to know. Frame mount lights attach to the back of the frame and arc over the top, which is easy but works best on a sturdy frame. Wall mount lights sit on the wall just above the frame, which looks cleaner and handles heavier pieces. Hardwired lights need a junction box in the right spot, so they are best planned during a renovation.

For light color, look for warm white LEDs, around the color of a regular lamp bulb. They make art look rich rather than clinical. LEDs also run cool and give off very little ultraviolet light, which is gentler on paper and paint than the old halogen bulbs were.

If you go plug-in, a cord cover painted the wall color makes the wire almost disappear.

The light is only half of it. The other half is having something on the wall that deserves it.

For frames, Anthropologie's Brooke frame has a pattern around the edge, pretty on a small print that needs a little help. McGee & Co.'s Trent and Mayweather frames are simpler, the kind that let the art do the talking and look very handsome under a brass light.

For art, Lulu and Georgia's Under the Spanish Moss is a soft, moody landscape that glows under a warm light, and their Travelers Resting diptych comes as a set of two, perfect for a pair of small picture lights side by side. Anthropologie's Champagne Shack print has a sense of humor, and Urban Outfitters' Cats on Chairs print is exactly what it says and very charming in a hallway. The Jessica O. Practice Self Care print from Urban Outfitters is a gentle reminder over a desk or a bed.

Pictures with a lot of dark tones benefit most from a light, because they are the first to vanish at night. Bright, graphic prints look good lit, but they are fine without it too.

Hang the art first, with its center at roughly eye level, then place the light. Aim it so the beam falls across the whole picture, not just the top third.

What I would skip: a light shining straight down onto glossy glass from very close. You will see a bright streak across the art instead of the art itself. Angle the light, or choose non-glare glass when you frame.

I think a picture light is one of the most satisfying small changes you can make at home. It turns a print you walk past into something you actually look at, and it makes the room feel calmer at night because the light has somewhere to land.

If you take one thing away, let it be this: choose a light about half the width of your frame, in warm white, and angle it so it washes the whole picture. Start with a battery light over the piece you love most. You will probably want a second one within a month.