ts lighting in its final place of exhibition. The appearance of a
sculpture depends upon the dominant direction of the light, the
solid-angle subtended by the light-source (skylight, area of sky, etc.)
and the amount of scattered light. The direction of dominant light
determines the general direction of the shadows; the solid-angle of the
light-source affects the character of the edges of the shadows; and the
scattered light accounts for the brightness of the shadows. It should be
obvious that variations of these factors affect the appearance or
expression of three-dimensional objects. Therefore the position of a
sculptured object with respect to the window or other skylight and the
amount of light reflected from the surroundings are important. Visits to
art museums with these factors in mind reveal a gross neglect in the
lighting of objects of art which are supposed to appeal by virtue of
their appearances, for they can arouse the emotions only through the
doorway of vision.

A century ago mankind gave no thought to utilizing the expressive and
impressive powers of light except in religious ceremonies. It was not
practicable to utilize light from the feeble flames of those days in the
elaborate manner necessary to draw upon these powers. Man was concerned
with the more pressing needs. He wanted enough light to make the winter
evenings endurable and the streets reasonably safe. The artists of those
days saw the wonderful expressions of light exhibited by Nature, but
they dared not dream of rivaling these with artificial light. To-day
Nature surpasses man in the production of lighting effects only in
magnitude. Man surpasses her artistically. In fact, the artist becomes a
master only when he can improve upon her settings; when he is able by
rare judgment in choosing and in eliminating and by skill and ingenuity
to substitute a complete harmony for her incomplete and unsatisfactory
reality. But everywhere Nature is the great teacher, for her world is
full of an everchanging infinitude of expressions of light. Mankind
needs only to study these with an attuned sensibility to be able
eventually to play the music of light for those who are blessed with an
esthetic sense.

XXIV

LIGHTING THE HOME

In the home artificial light exerts its influence upon every one.
Without artificial lighting the family circle may not have become the
important civilizing influence that it is to-day. Certainly civilized
man now shudde