When we are walking around an art gallery or exhibition, our attention is naturally focused on the artworks rather than the frames surrounding them. However, throughout history frame making has been an art and a craft in its own right, albeit one that is usually neglected by art historians.
At our framing shop in north London, we understand the importance of the right picture frame for presenting and preserving artwork to its best advantage, and also for complementing the surroundings.
The style of picture frames ranges from the purely functional to the highly decorative, and it’s fascinating to understand how the craft has evolved over time. Here’s a brief look.
Ancient Egypt: The earliest picture frames
As with many cultural developments, the roots of picture framing techniques can be traced back to Ancient Egypt. The earliest examples were simple wooden frames that have been found within Egyptian tombs, estimated to date back to around AD 50. It is thought that the primary purpose of these frames was to encase the portrait within to preserve it.
Often the portraits were attached to mummies, usually deceased pharaohs or members of the nobility. It was part of an elaborate burial ritual that wasn’t so much concerned with preserving the dead, as helping them to achieve divinity.
Early religious art framing techniques
During the reign of the Byzantine Empire, whose influence extends throughout Europe, Asia and beyond between the 4th and 15th centuries, frames were primarily used to display religious artworks. Often, frames were integral to the painting surface with raised or carved edges that the artist might paint directly onto.
Artwork for altarpieces and other prominent positions in places of worship often had ornate carved wooden frames, or elaborate designs and symbols that were gilded with gold or a metal alloy.
Frames were also used to provide distinct boundaries between narrative artworks and friezes, which were often used in the days before mass literacy to help regular churchgoers understand biblical stories and ideas.
The Renaissance: reframing art history
Anyone with even a passing interest in art will recognise the Renaissance period that flourished during the 15th and 16th centuries marked a huge shift in artistic styles and attitudes to art. This is also reflected in the styles of the frames, which became more decorative and elaborate.
Although much art was still created primarily for religious purposes, artworks were also beginning to be commissioned by private individuals from the royal or noble classes, public bodies such as governments and courts, and well-to-do businessmen. This led to the development of grander frames that were designed to complement stately interiors.
Commissioning bespoke artworks was still the preserve of the wealthy, and therefore frames were a status symbol as much as a functional item. The frames for works by the most revered and sought after artists such as Leonardo da Vinci were often created by highly skilled craftsmen, who had artistic flair as well as technical competence.
The frames often featured highly intricate designs that were gilded with gold leaf, particularly for portraits where the subject wished to emphasise their wealth and status. Frames were also created independently of artwork as well as made to measure, allowing for more flexibility in display, and also enabling the separate sale of frames as a commodity.
The era of excess: Baroque and Rococo styles
The rise of the Baroque and Rococo styles during the 17th and 18th centuries led to even more elaborate picture frames. The designs were often ornate to the point of excess, threatening to outshine the painting itself with wide borders featuring flowing curves, scrolls, floral and leaf motifs, and usually gilded with precious metals.
Frames were often commissioned to enhance the architectural features of the intended area for display, such as ornate plaster ceiling moldings and ceiling roses, or carved masonry details such as corbels, window frames or interior arches or fireplaces. This era was very much about making a statement rather than subtlety and sophistication.
The Victorian era: the beginnings of mass production
The industrial revolution brought new techniques and materials, and frames could be mass produced for the first time. This made them more accessible and affordable to the general population, especially the aspirational middle classes who were keen to decorate their homes in the latest fashions.
The rise of photography also led to a fresh demand for frames for family portraits and holiday mementos. The style of picture frames became more varied; elaborate designs remained popular, often cast in moulds and made of cheaper materials such as plaster rather than metal. More simple wooden frames were also available.
The dawn of the modern era
The predominant art movement of the early twentieth century was Modernism, which led to sweeping changes in the way that visual art was presented and viewed. The industrialisation of the world had changed the way people lived and worked, and this was reflected in the work of artists.
There was a distinct break from the realistic styles of the past, and a move towards a more experimental approach that encompassed abstraction, expressionism, surrealism, cubism, and many other styles. This called for a new approach to presenting and displaying the artwork, as the elaborate and bulky frames of the past were no longer appropriate.
Frame makers adopted a sleeker and simpler approach, with clean lines and minimal decorative details. Frames returned to their more functional roots, combined with modern materials such as aluminium or composites rather than gold leaf or carved wood.
The modern era
As we move ever deeper into the digital age, the purpose of frames is once again evolving. However, in recent years there has been an increasing appreciation of quality hand crafted items such as bespoke picture frames, that will always bring the human touch in an era that can often feel ephemeral and impersonal.