This boldly shaped bevel moulding is an example of an individually designed profile, made by the famous London framer Robert Sielle. I have repaired a number frames by the same maker, surrounding paintings by the same artist over the years, all of which have been custom profiles and all similarly bold and individually crafted. The colour scheme is also a signature of the artist's work. It is a pleasure to work on frames from such a influential framer, and hopefully do my bit for preserving his original work.
The frame came in with some damage (possibly water damage) to one side, almost all the gesso on this side had flaked off or was badly delaminating. Several other areas of gesso on the exposed inner edge were also loose and flaking off, exposing the pine wood substrate. Gesso suffers from damp conditions and also the effects of central heating, resulting in weakening of the glue bond between layers and the wooden base.
I used an acrylic emulsion (Plextol B500) mixed with water and ethanol to stabilise and consolidate the fragile, powdery gesso and all exposed gesso areas. I then built up the missing areas of gesso using a standard rabbit skin glue/calcium carbonate mixture. The sides, bevel, and inner slip of the frame all have a stippled gesso finish, (not the high point which is quite flat and without texture) so this effect was replicated on the side as I built up the new gesso layers. The small infills of gesso were sanded smooth, and then the new gesso areas were painted to match the surrounding original finish - easily the hardest part of the whole process.
Robert Sielle made frames for many of the leading 20th century British artists, detailed information can be read on the National Portrait Gallery website: British Picture Framemakers 1610-1950.
Sir Kyffin Williams used him for about 35 years, some insights into the relationship between artist and framer can be read on the Alice Sielle website: Sir Kyffin Williams on Alice Sielle.
