17th and 18th Century Frames

Beautiful 17th Century Carved Frame

Old and New

A 12ct white gold gilded frame, part of a large order I have just finished, and a nice example of a 17th Century British Louis XIII style carved frame.

Frames in the National Portrait Gallery

The National Portrait Gallery has some wonderful frames in their collection, here are just a few from a recent visit.

Frames at Auction

A small Carved Florentine frame at Mallams, Abingdon, on 14th March.

Late 17th C Louis XIII/XIV flower corner frame at Tajan, Paris, on 22nd March.

Repro Louis XIV Frame

A late 20th Century carved reproduction Louis XIV flower corner frame.

Antique Frame Styles

Good quality 20th C carved repro straight sided Louis XV frame. 

19/20th C Barbizon frame with an inexpensive metal leaf refinish.

Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery

Here are a few frames I liked on a recent visit to Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery. Last time I went a couple of the rooms were closed, and they now have a new Baroque gallery display. The post about my previous visit (here) complained about the lack of anti-reflective glass and this is still a nuisance on many of the paintings, and for me negatively effects the viewing of the paintings.

Antique Frames Reused on Impressionist Paintings

A few frames seen in Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery. 17th and 18th Century frames that have been used on works by Renoir, Sisley, Pissarro, and Degas.

Surface Cleaning

Surface cleaning a 19th Century Barbizon frame.

Louis Style: French Frames 1610 to 1792 - Exhibition at the Getty Center

Speaking of the closing of the National Gallery frame exhibition (see previous post), the Getty Center in Los Angeles has an upcoming frame exhibition; Louis Style: French Frames 1610-1792 which runs from September 15th to January 3rd 2016 - so plenty of time to see it if you are around LA. 

Louis Style: French Frames 1610-1792

Details from the Getty website:

What makes a French frame French? Drawn from the Museum's substantial collection, this exhibition presents a survey of the exquisite carved and gilded picture frames from five periods—Louis XIII (1630–1643), Louis XIV (1643–1715), Régence (1715–1723), Louis XV (1723–1774), and Louis XVI (1774–1792). Tracing their development from restrained to elaborate, dynamic forms to classically inspired style, the array presents a splendid compendium of French design, ornament, craftsmanship, and construction and gilding techniques. This exhibition, along with other displays at the Getty, commemorates the 300th anniversary of the death of Louis XIV, France's magnificent Sun King.

A selection of Louis XIII, XIV, XV, and XVI frames in the Getty exhibition.

A Louis XV frame circa 1770 by one of the finest 18th C framemakers; Jean Chérin 1734-1785