Recommended Values of Lighting Traditional Chinese Paintings Based on Color Naturalness in Museums

ABSTRACT The display of traditional Chinese paintings in museums requires lighting that maximizes the true color rendering of the artwork. This necessitates high requirements for the lighting source, including the fidelity index ( R f ) and the gamut index ( R g ) to ensure natural color rendering. However, due to the unique colors of traditional Chinese paintings and the specific lighting conditions of exhibition halls (low illumination and high brightness contrast), the optimal lighting index thresholds for these paintings are not yet clear. In this study, a 1:1 simulated museum environment for exhibiting traditional Chinese paintings was constructed. Four CCT conditions were established, each incorporating 12 combinations of R f and R g , resulting in 48 experimental lighting conditions. Four representative traditional Chinese paintings with distinct color characteristics were selected as evaluation objects. A psychophysical subjective evaluation experiment on the perceived color naturalness of these paintings was conducted with 34 participants. Data analysis revealed the respective effects of R f and R g on color naturalness under each CCT condition, as well as recommended R f and R g ranges to ensure optimal color rendering. Specifically, light sources with R f ≥ 95 are preferred. When R f < 95, light sources with R g ≥ 100 are most likely to preserve high perceived color naturalness. This study provides a basis for selecting appropriate light sources and establishing relevant standards for lighting traditional Chinese paintings in museums.