Gilding a Watts Frame

More Watts Examples

A couple of examples of antique Watts frames, seen on a recent visit to London. I took an order today for a couple more Watts style frames...

Gold Watts Frame

Watts frame

A reproduction Watts frame that I am working on at the moment, next it will be painted with bole, and then gilded with 23.5ct gold leaf. The wood grain of the central oak flat is typical of Watts style frames.

Watts repairs

This outer section of a Watts frame has been cut down, and is having a few repairs to the composition ornament.

A selection of antique frames

 18th C English carved

 19th C English Louis XIII revival

 Grotesque corner

 19th C Louis XV swept

 19th C Louis XV swept

As much as I like art and paintings in frames, there is something about a beautiful empty antique frame hung on a wall which I almost prefer.

Frame stock

I had a big delivery of frames arrive last week, a really good selection of antique, vintage repro, and modern reproduction frames. There were considerably more than advertised so it has taken a few days to sort through them and get them put away, and I have not started to catalogue them accurately yet. I will take a few photos of some of my favourites in a few days.

Reproduction Watts frame

The gilding of this Watts frame was finished recently, here are a few photos of some of the stages involved.

Repairs to Watts

This Watts frame is from a few posts back, it has had some repairs done, and been generally tidied up. A nice detail that you don't see on all Watts frames is the inner husk ornament has centre flowers which the husks radiate away from, instead of just going round the same way. It would be nice if the outer ornament had mitre leaves, although the ornament does match up very well without them. Finally butt joints on the oak veneer flat are another good detail although this one has normal mitres.

Unwanted frames

Framing work often involves taking a picture out of an existing frame and choosing something new. Sometimes the frame and mount may look a little outdated, maybe the customer just does not like the style, or heaven forbid it does not fit in with the room decor where it will hang. Some of the old frames are just discarded, anything worth keeping is offered back to the customer, artist, or gallery but they rarely want them back.

Here are just a few frames that I have got from re-framing pictures, the two water gilded and burnished 1970's frames at the front are my favourites amongst these examples, behind them there is a water gilt spoon made by John Jones Ltd in London. The frame behind the reproduction Watts (outer) is a nice shape, probably 1980's and behind this is a mid 20th C water gilt cushion frame which came off a John Nash landscape. At the back is a simple unfinished walnut flat which is a lovely wood to stain and wax.

Old oak frames a regularly discarded for newer framing (all be it usually in 'old' effect or style), when I think they look very good on old prints, pictures, and photographs. Often sadly and inevitably (and sometimes for the better) pictures and paintings are taken out of their original or later re-frames to meet new tastes.

Cut down

It can be a little nerve racking cutting down antique frames. The timber is often less than straight, compo can be brittle and prone to breaking very easily, the gesso can be also be fragile and poorly secured to the wood.
The last part of this Watts frame was relatively easy to cut down, the compo and gesso was very secure, so no bits broke away as it was cut. Now for some small repairs and it will be ready to frame an antique painting.

2 cut down, 1 to go

Antique frame cut down x3

These three frames make up a classic Watts frame; an inner husk type compo pattern, a flat oak veneer, and an outer acanthus leaf compo pattern. It will be cut down to fit a 19th Century painting. Always a bit of a shame to cut down an antique frame but it will be a good period frame for the painting.

Lots of old frames

We are working on quite a few repair, restoration, a re-finishing of antique frames at the moment. There are three Watts frames, one is a frame of mine which is being cut down to fit a 19th C painting, and the other two have both had the wire/hangers fail resulting in lots of broken areas of compo. 

The top two photos (the red frame) are a carved frame which is being re-finished. There is also a photo of the neoclassical frame after it has been gessoed.

A little 19th century oil on board

A nice old oil painting, framed in a water gilded Victorian style frame with mitre leaf corners. The frame profile is the outer part of a 'Watts' frame with a painted gesso slip.