In the case of my apartment.  The women who had the place remodeled designed it like her house and had all the light switches, including the termastat placed at thigh level.  That way all her artwork does not have the distraction of ugly switches.  I will be in trouble if she ever came in to see how I have hung artwork on the walls!  I am sure none of my laserprinter masterpieces are centered at 52 inches height.

Dear DIY Maven,

Perhaps you should find art where he loves the top half and you love the bottom half.

Um, doesn't it depend on how high the ceiling is? 

I try to hang my paintings in a variety of ways...

1. On an open wall (I have a gallery wall in my foyer) I hang them so the vertical center is at my eye hight (about 66").

2. Over my protruding fire place I hang them to horizontal center (leaving four or so inches on each side (depending on frame size) and then leave an equal amount of space below to the fire place.

3. If I have furniture below (for example, I have a painting on exposed brick over a wine cabinet), I raise the painting well above eye height to provide a vertical balance between furniture and ceiling.

So the answer is not a simple 52" measure. IMHO

I think paintings should be hung at eye level to how you view them.  In a living room you are most likely sitting, so try to hang the painting centered on your eye when seated.  In a hall or gallery you would hang them centered with your eye when standing.  You will feel like you are hanging things very low but the room will look much better.

The term we use in the industry for how most paintings are typically hung is "flying pictues" (because most people hang them too high).  Personally I like painting groups that go down to the base board.

Good question,

Lynne

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