In The Right Frame Of Mind

Designed to protect and enhance a picture, an elaborate frame is often a work of art in its own right. Catriona Gray discovers how red-coloured clay makes gold leaf glow and why mounts are not always needed

- Catriona Gray

FROM simple wooden surrounds to grand Renaissance creations, picture frames have played an important part in art history. They give vital clues to the origins of a painting, be it the elegant ebonised frames that set off the Dutch masters of the 17th century or the elaborate gilt confections that characterised the Victorian era. Although a frame’s main purpose is to protect and enhance a picture, they can often be works of art in their own right, which is why it’s worth making the effort to preserve and protect them.

At Arnold Wiggins & Sons in the heart of St James’s, London SW1, an impressive array of antique frames is stacked around the premises—some are packed closely together, with only their edges visible, others are hung up on the walls, where you can see Italian, French and English frames of every period and style. Michael Gregory, who heads up this long-established company, has held a Royal Warrant as a picture-frame maker to The Queen since 1991 and regularly lectures on the history and craftsmanship of this little-known subject.

‘I’ve always travelled and photographed art collections, from museums in America to English country houses, so we have a database to work from,’ he explains. ‘It gives us a reference point for when we frame a piece. When people come to us with a picture, we start from a historical perspective—what country is it from, who is it by and so on, to try to match it to something similar, whether that’s an original frame or a handmade reproduction.’