Artists love to work in natural light because it shows colors at their most vibrant. Natural light is white light, without the hints of color found in artifical light, so colors appear true. However, displaying artwork in natural light presents one major problem: natural light contains high levels of infrared and ultraviolet (UV) rays. The same wavelengths of light that cause a sunburn also fade and deteriorate paints and textiles, so art should never be stored or displayed near a window or in direct sunlight.
Fluorescent light has a greenish tinge, so colors in artwork do not appear true. Like natural light, fluorescent bulbs emit strong UV rays, causing rapid fading of colors. Experts do not recommend displaying works of art under fluorescent lights for any period of time.
Incandescent light has a warm, yellow tint, so it enhances warm colors like red, orange and yellow in artwork. It is much less harmful than natural sunlight or fluorescent light, but it is not ideal for all works of art. Incandescent light's warm tone detracts from work with mostly cool colors like blue, green and purple.
Halogen bulbs emit a strong, white light similar to natural sunlight, so colors look vibrant and true. Damaging rays are minimized, but the jury is still out on whether long-term exposure to high wattages might cause fading. However, newer halogen bulbs, designed specifically for lighting artwork, redirect damaging wavelengths. Low-watt halogen lighting is a good compromise between displaying art to its best advantage and protecting it from damage.