A canvas that is too small for its wall is the most common regret in wall art, and it is the one thing a photograph on a screen cannot show you. This page is here so you get it right the first time.
Three shapes
Every painting in this store is one of three shapes. Wide paintings are three units across to two down. Tall ones are the reverse. Squares are squares. A painting's page tells you which it is, and each shape comes in its own sizes.
Wide paintings
| Size, width × height | No frame | Framed |
|---|---|---|
| 18 × 12 in | $169 | $229 |
| 30 × 20 in | $299 | $379 |
| 42 × 28 in | $449 | $569 |
| 60 × 40 in | $749 | $869 |
Tall paintings
| Size, width × height | No frame | Framed |
|---|---|---|
| 12 × 18 in | $169 | $229 |
| 20 × 30 in | $299 | $379 |
| 28 × 42 in | $449 | $569 |
| 40 × 60 in | $749 | $869 |
Square paintings
| Size, width × height | No frame | Framed |
|---|---|---|
| 20 × 20 in | $189 | $259 |
| 32 × 32 in | $469 | $589 |
| 48 × 48 in | $799 | $919 |
Which size for which wall
Above a sofa, a bed or a sideboard. The painting should run two-thirds to three-quarters of the width of the furniture under it. A standard sofa is about 84 inches wide, so 60 inches of painting is right and 42 is the least that will not look lost. A queen bed is 60 inches wide: a 42-inch painting suits it. A king is 76 inches: go to 60.
A narrow wall. Beside a door, between two windows, at the end of a hall: choose a tall painting, and let it be taller than you think. Leave at least a hand's width of wall either side of the frame.
A wall of its own. A square at 32 or 48 inches holds a wall alone and centers easily, which is why squares suit the walls nothing else fits.
A shelf, a desk or a prayer corner. The smallest size in each shape. It is also the size to give when you do not know the walls it is going to.
How high to hang it
Put the center of the painting about 57 to 60 inches from the floor. That is eye level for most people standing, and it is where galleries hang. Above furniture, keep the bottom edge six to ten inches above the back of the sofa or the headboard, so the two read as one arrangement rather than two.
Measure before you choose
Take a tape measure to the wall and the furniture, write both numbers down, and pick the size from the table that gets closest to the rule above. If you are between two sizes, take the larger one. Color needs room.
What is in the box
The canvas arrives stretched on solid wood bars an inch and a half deep, with a sawtooth hanger already on the top bar and rubber bumpers on the bottom corners. With no frame, the painting wraps round the wooden sides. With a frame, the same canvas sits inside a solid wood floater frame with a fine shadow gap round it. Either way, one hook in the wall is all it takes.
Or let Mark show you
Take a photo of the wall, straight on, with the furniture in the shot, and email it to hello@christianmodernart.com with the painting's name and a rough width. Mark places the painting on your wall at the size that fits and sends it back, so you see it in your room before you order. No charge. It is the surest way to get this right.