Regarding the discussion of which is the strongest side of the sofa (Talk of the week, 19 March), as you look at a picture, stage or screen, the right draws the eye more than the left. This is because we read from left to right. The powers that be, behind the scenes, who decide that the main presenter should sit on the left (and this usually happens to be a man) are mistaken. Go to an art gallery and notice that about 80% of portraits have the subject facing to their right, with the light source coming from the left of the picture, so that the face is illuminated. This draws our eyes continuously to the person. This also applies to landscapes and multi-subject pictures. Again, from the viewer’s point of view, the bride (or female) in a picture tends to be on the right, since their looks and fashion are more eye-catching. It would be a folly for women to make a fuss about this apparent injustice; the advantage is in being on the right!
Christine Ozanne
London
• In Denmark last week, I was surprised to see a grey-haired, comfortably proportioned woman on the breakfast news sofa. Then I was shocked that I was surprised – this was just a normal woman, but we in the UK are so used to seeing overly made-up, over-coiffed female presenters in tight-fitting dresses that the normal looks abnormal. Very sad. And yes, she was sitting on the left.
Jane Fraser
Wolverhampton, West Midlands
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