HISTORY of the FRAME
Despite the fact that frames have been around as long as ancient painting, there is little to be found on the history of the frame compared to the enormous amount of information referencing the works they surround and protect. Here is a snapshot of what we know chronologically set against the backdrop of the 13 periods that have had a major impact on framing uses and design.
ANCIENT EGYPT
3050BC-900BC
The history of frames is as old as that of painting. Framing techniques and materials used today are similar to those which were used in ancient Egypt. “Framing borders” were used in paintings on pottery and wall paintings as a way to divide scenes and as ornamentation. One of the earliest physical frames dates back to the second century AD. The portrait and the wooden frame surrounding it were found in an Egyptian tomb and was almost perfectly preserved.
CLASSICAL
850BC-476AD
At this time, the Greeks and Romans were painting frescoes directly onto walls and creating tile mosaics reflecting daily life. Intricately designed borders divided each scene in the same way as the Ancient Egyptians. The Chinese and Japanese artistic approach was unique in that they painted their works onto scrolls without frames and onto screens like the ones used to divide rooms.
GOTHIC
1100-1450
The advent of early organized religious beliefs are where we see the introduction of framing artistic works making these ecclesiastical settings the first real picture frames. Early Christian art adapted the Egyptian and Greek "framing borders" by applying them to the carved edgings of ivory book covers and diptychs to altarpieces. These altarpieces were one-piece panels of wood where the area to be painted was carved out, leaving a raised framing border around the outside edge. The entire panel was then gessoed and gilded leaving the flat panel to be painted as the last thing to be done. These early elaborate altarpiece frames were found primarily in places of worship and the use of gold and gems suggested the glories of Heaven. These frames gradually took on the look of the medieval cathedrals of the time.
As artists came to realize the costly, time-consuming ways that these early frames were produced, they found faster, cheaper ways to make them. Thus, a new style was constructed that consisted of mitered moulding strips attatched to a flat wooden panel. This created a wider availabilty and use of frames for artwork yet they were still considered a luxury as only the wealthy could afford it.
RENAISSANCE
1400-1600
Early Renaissance saw the rise of art patrons extending beyond the church. This brought about the common practice by the wealthy to commission private works of art with frames which created the advent of more portable frames, or "court frames." This was done by the wealthy for the purpose of status and propaganda and the frames indicated power and wealth which was reflected by the magnifiecent workmanship and symbolic motifs. Not long after, the art trade came to the forefront of every day life allowing secular frames to follow, produced in all degrees of cost and elaboration. Unlike the earlier frames, these were designed and crafted by furniture builders instead of artists, sculptors or architects. This resulted in a combination of artistry and functionality.
BAROQUE
1600-1830
As more noblemen, kings and popes gained wealth and power, that exaggeration showed on the frames that adorned their commissioned paintings. The elaborate cartouches adorning these frames achieved the drama and opulence of the era, echoing the lavish lifestyle and grandeur of these powerful people. The Baroque influence came out of Italy.
ROCOCO
1650-1970
During the Baroque period in Italy, the French were going through a change as well. The Rococo period of the French also showed off the lavish lifestyle of the wealthy noblemen and churches but their opulence was more delicate with softer lines. The French were also interested in introducing variety and diminishing "heaviness" while adding touches of grace, so an asymmetrical approach with intricate designs were adapted.
NEO-CLASSICAL
1730-1925
The Neo-Classical period began as the growing middle class rejected the lavishness and overly decorative styles of the Baroque and Rococo periods. Neo-Classical means "New" Classical, and this movement embraced the Greek and Roman influence of a more restrained style. The people of this time strove to rekindle the spirit and form of Classical Arts.
BEAUX ARTS
1885-1925
Beaux Arts were a blend of the Classical Greek and Roman Style with Renaissance ideas and influences. They embraced a more symmetrical articulation combined with lavish and intensive surface decoration...often having a single "grand" element at the center of compositions. This movement was a more "showy" presentation of the Classical elements which was reflected in all kinds of official buildings.
ART NOUVEAU
1890-1905
Art Nouveau was not just a new art movement but also a new way of thinking about society. This movement was a way to redefine the meaning and nature of "the work of art." The creations of this time consisted of flowing organic motifs, strong, long flowing lines, flick of a "whiplash" and curls and bends. Art Nouveau embraced the asymmetrical lines based on plant life.
MODERNIST
1900-PRESENT
The Modernist period placed a strong emphasis on pure function instead of duplicating nature. This was an "anti-traditional" time where the simplification of everything was encouraged. It was a time of minimalization where there was little to no ornamentation. The Modernist period was emerging as a formal, structured, sterile period of the arts.
NEO-GOTHIC
1905-1930
This regimented, conservative regressive style is also known as Gothic Revival. This time represented a great deal of design influence from Medieval Gothic time. It was not a rediscovery of the Gothic era but a rebirth of that style and the attempt to understand the basic principle of Gothicism and use of them in the design process.
ART DECO
1925-1937
Art Deco was a mixture of many styles and movements including NeoClassical, Constructivism, Cubism, Modernism, Art Nouveau and Futurism. This period was purely decorative with no political or philosophical ties. It was an era that combined traditional craft motifs with machine age imagery and materials.
POSTMODERNISM
1972-PRESENT
This period, which continues to this day, is known as a rebellion against the modern. Postmodernism combines new ideas with traditional ideas by interpreting historical motifs and other period designs in a modern fashion with subtle messages and designs.
Information, Art & Photo Credits
Michael Pacitti
Picture Frame Magazine
Smithsonian Institute
Journal of Museums Aotearoa
National Gallery of Art
Met Museum
museunacianal.com
Susquehanna Antiques
Suzanne Smeaton
Tomas Maronski
Larson Juhl
Information, Art & Photo Credits
Paul Mitchell, Co.
Gill & Lagodish
Edgar O Smith
Alex V Design
Susan Maxwell Schmidt
Micael Mapes
Robert Rauschenberg
Roma Moulding
Fotiou
Wikipedia