17th and 18th Century Frames

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.

Carved Frame

A fine carved 18th Century frame that has some damage to be repaired.

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

The Ashmolean Museum of Art and Archaeology University of Oxford

The Ashmolean Museum in Oxford has a wonderful collection of European paintings and frames. I am particularly fond of cassetta frames, of which they have many lovely examples. The small guide book 'Frames and Framings - Ashmolean Guide Books' looks at 34 of the frames in the collection and is well worth getting if you like frames, and plan to visit the museum.

Carved Detail

A close-up of the ornament detail on a lovely carved frame, showing C scrolls, flowers, and leaves, and the fine cross hatching and stippled background areas of the frame.