Focused on the Frame

Sounds like a beautiful frame. I hope i get to see it someday.

I have seen this glorious painting in its simple frame, I could just imagine how it would appear in that ornate frame, wow.

Just wanted to emphatically agree with the author about the importance of frames and their often under-appreciated value added to an artist's creation. I try to always ensure the the right combination of subject matter and frame when composing and constructing each of my pieces - the frame literally "dresses" and surrounds the subject, in my case mostly natural history specimens, and becomes an integral part of the work. The frame is very much a part of the composition and requires careful thought and consideration in its application!

Very interesting article! It has inspired me to take a trip to one of my local art museums, since I can't get to the Met at the moment.

A masterpiece painting deserves a frame to match, and makes all the difference to an important work such as this. Even lesser works can benefit from a beautiful frame - as a child I remember watching my dad painstaking restoring similar but much smaller frames - he always have several on the go in varying stages of renovation, and would spend hours making molds to remodel broken bits out of plaster and applying gold leaf to the end result

Thanks so much for the article. I too agree the framing really is an intricate part of the painting.

If you ever get to Florence, Italy, you will see all the great masterpieces framed in very intricate frames. The artists had a seperate staff just to make the frame they had designed to frame their work. Love the article.

The right frame will set off a work of art perfectly. As an embroiderer and beader, I have been known to spend hours looking for just the right frame to show off a piece of work I have spent countless hours working on. All of my hard work deserves the best frame and I think this painting looks amazing in its new frame!

Interesting! compare with the old frame, the new frame brings new impact to the painting! The frame itself is a great art piece!!

Wow...that is a beautiful frame! I love how different it can make the picture look.

For further information on the subject, read "The Secret Lives of Frames: One Hundred Years of Art and Artistry" by Deborah Davis. Excellent read with lots of fantastic photos and in-depth historical information on the subject.

Very interesting post. I am so glad to see a reversal in thinking from "the frame should not detract from the painting" concept. Obviously, the original frame was beautiful and perfect in that it reflected the grand feeling of this piece. I always look at frames, when they are beautiful and hope that the artwork of framing will become more valued once again for the true form of art it is in and of itself.

What I love is the differences the better frame made to the entire "atmosphere" of the piece. Notice how close the other pictures were to the picture in the simple frame--the larger frame has more "presence" and seems to demand more space and attention. Surely that's what the artist meant it to have in the first place.

Interesting information on the frames used for this painting.

I was in San Juan Capistrano last week (I live in the UK) and I purchased a vintage wooden frame with intricate gesso detail. Very damaged but delightful. I saw it being eyed by a very handsome guy and I jokingly asked if he would like to buy it. "I am an artist, I can't afford frames!" This is so often the case and art is often sold in plain simple beech frames, but I totally agree that a frame can make a picture.

What a magnificent piece. I would love to see it in person!

With the new "old" frame, the picture looks so very different and certainly much stronger. It just shows how important the frame is to the overall work.

I have a crazy passion for vintage frames and display them -empty- in my home in various places. You'll notice I almost never carry them in my shop because I can't bear to part with them. Loved this article.

Interesting!

The frame is there to give praise to the work it showcases! Without the substantive frame in all its glory making the formal introduction, half of the impact of the art is never presented! It is like a woman going to the ball wearing casual shoes with her gown....the complete picture is not there!

Totally agree, we started making our own sculptural frames due to the lack of "interesting" frames out there. We see the frame as art in itself!

I most often include the frame as part of the piece when creating paintings, collages & even photographic displays. It started as a way to save money as custom framing can be quite costly but this practice has really become a favorite part of my process. Wonderful post!

I thought I was the only one who noticed frames! I love old, handmade wood frames, the detail, the love, and the way it draws the attention in. What a fantastic recreation for an American icon.

I love old frames. They have such character. Thanks for the post.

I love the globes & eagle on the frame, such a nice touch!

Amazing art!

I absolutely adore gilded, ornate frames. I hope to one day have a Baroque themed room in my home just full of molding and gorgeous art.

the impact of the original frame on the first viewers must have been breathtaking, awe-inspiring.. I wonder where it was originally displayed?

incredible story. love the tales a frame alone can hold!

Intriguing! That is a breathtakingly gorgeous frame!

I am so happy to have stumbled onto this wonderful blog bringing awareness to the wonderful craftsmanship of gold leaf gilding and framing. They say *clothes maketh the man* likewise with a painting and its relationship with the frame. My husband is a third generation GOLD LEAF GILDER & CONSERVATOR, we are truly blessed in the course of his career to have worked on some wonderful historic frames/works of art. A frame like this is magnificent. Glad to read all these wonderful comments about frames. In addition, I would like to make a comment about another wonderful *dying art* FRENCH MATTING, my husband Harry Elsworthy specializes in creating and carrying on this tradition. French Mats are a series of handpainted watercolor lines usually with handmade gold paper surrounding watercolors and paper art. For more check out his blog at http://giltwoodstudios.blogspot.com/ Finally, I would like to thank Chappell Ellison for this wonderful article and blog. Thank you most sincerely, Carol Elsworthy.

So many different frames to choose from when framing a painting. It is an art in itself choosing a frame. Everyone has a different preference, just like when choosing art.

Wow ! What a gorgeous frame.... too bad framing is so expensive.... , but it does aff to the charm of a work of art !

Such a cool article!

I love art history and this painting is breathtaking. I think I saw it when my parents took my sister and me on a trip to Washington D.C. Great great article. I will read it again Kristi itsalook.etsy.com, the fashion tie dye company!!!

frames can be as individual as the piece framed ~*~

This is a very timely article. The frame is an integral part of a finished work. As an artist, painting in threads, I'm always in search of the right frame. Creating one is often, the only solution.

WHAT AN AMAZING BLOG!!!!!!!!!! I LOVE THE EXQUISITE PAINTINGS!!!!!!!!!!!! DEFINITELY EYE CANDY :-)

That is truly a beautiful frame that goes so well with the painting!

Great story!

Fascinating.

It is so great to see this project featured on Etsy! I actually am a colleague of Suzanne Smeaton and a consultant for Eli Wilner & Company so I had the pleasure to personally watch the master carvers and gilders bring this frame to life over the last few years. It was very inspiring!

oh lala :::-) my bachelors degree final exams are on tuesday and i'm tryin' to earn some knowledge, including history of art & aesthetics. so have to focus what's in the frame :) and this is such a dejavuuuuuu! -nice frame works btw! i always look at the whole thing, including frame & installation :)

oh lala :::-) my bachelors degree final exams are on tuesday and i'm tryin' to earn some knowledge, including history of art & aesthetics. so have to focus what's in the frame :) and this is such a dejavuuuuuu! i always look at the whole thing, including frame & installation :)

What a difference it makes for the painting! Amazing! I hope I get the chance to see it one day.

What a wonderful article!

No wonder this painting 'elicits gasps'. The frame is as much a work of art as the painting and truly an integral part. Just the photo is remarkable.

Thank you, Chappell. I find myself liking your blogs. I like both your style of writing and the subjects you choose. I restore historical paintings and murals that are rather in large scale than regular easel paintings and this blog definitely caught my attention.

Glad that I took the time to read your article - well-written, informative as well as timely and entertaining!

Which comes first the chicken or the egg?

great article:)

magnificent....

What a great read... "Let the beauty of what you love be what you do."--Rumi

Being a vintage junkie...frames are always in my scope of vision, so often times I find a wonderful piece of old art that has been re-framed in some piece of junk and wonder what ever came of the original frame! Great article, thanks! Aloha!

Intriguing article!

Great post! Thank you :)

I've painted for many years, and frames were very important. Essentially the frame becomes a part of the painting. I sometimes found very old ornate frames, and then created a painting for them. The older the frame the better. Imagine what works it housed in the past, and then create a new life for it to frame and become a part of. Those were the days.

I always love the art-focused articles that this blog writer does, as I always gives me food for thought. When I go to an art museum or gallery, I am often attracted to the paintings that have a gorgeous, ornate frames. I am a little surprised that the frames have not received the same documentation--that historical records have not been regularly created. I think its wonderful that the MET museum recreated the original frame--it really adds a sense of regency. And I am sure that original frame is somewhere in the world!

Well done! Freed my inner artist! Thanks so much.

As a frame maker for over 15 years I so appreciate the difference the correct frame and presentation makes. Great article.

frames have always been my favorite part of a painting. the more ornate the better!

Thank you so much for this info.I love ornate frames and do frame some of my works with them.

Great post!

What an amazing post, and the fact that there is potential to find the original frame some day and hear about its story since the 1864 photo is exciting! Thanks!

I love collecting antique frames from estate sales and auctions. They are so beautiful even when empty.

I loved this article. Frames can do a lot for and with the artwork. And what an amazing frame!!

Brilliant article all around. Thanks!

The painting is much more dramatic with the new larger more ornate frame on it, I think they made the right choice changing it. In my opinion, the frame is half of what makes the whole piece, one is not complete without the other, so it is very important.

Great post thanks.

I found this article so interesting. I have seen this painting at the Met, and will go view it again when I visit the city. Thank you for sharing this.

stunning.

Thank you for sharing. I love that first photo almost looks surreal! it needed its grand frame back... it looked lost without it! stately and perfect for this time of year! Happy 4th to you all !

I'm so glad they tried creating a replica of the frame to complete the art piece. Thank you so much for sharing! I hope to see it in real life.

A great article! My husband hand crafts all of my art frames and what few meager awards I've won I'm sure it was because of the frame & not the art! Thanks for sharing some wonderful history with us!

As my Mother an artist always says, many of her paintings are sold because of the frame. It holds true for this fabulous painting. Love it!! thanks for sharing.

A good frame help the picture inside. I have to confess I could buy some art only for the frame :D

Many have no idea the significance and history of this painting! The original was painted in Germany where it was destroyed in an airstrike in 1944. This is the recreated piece of art that resides here, featuring not just George Washington, but Madison holding the flag, a woman, a Scott, and an African American. It was recreated by a man from Berlin in 1850, just after the ‘Spring of Nations’, which took place on February 23, 1848. What caused this eerily familiar sounding revolution to breakout across Europe on the 23rd? Just two days prior, on February 21st, 1848, Karl Marx published the Communist Manifesto. How does it relate to this picture? And what does history? What is it screaming to America? It was communism that led to the Spring of Nations that broke out all over Europe, and one man lived in America, who was a German, went back and said ‘No! that’s the wrong direction’.” Why would the painter include a woman, a farmer, an African American, all together in this one painting? Because, the average person, when linked together, can do anything! Thank you, Etsy for bringing some attention to this painting! It is incredibly significant!

That reconstructed frame is certainly magnificent! It's funny to me, because in art school, we were taught that the frame should be as simple and elegant as possible - you want it to look so harmonious, no one bothers to notice the frame. I guess if you're talking about a 14 ft. tall piece of artwork, that's a different scenario. It's neat to see that painting, for personal reasons. I'm told that the man on the back, manning the rudder, is my ancestor.

Love the new frame. I think it is safe to say that having that large piece of art work on a plain, white wall by itself, instead of crowded in with some other paintings like it is in the older picture, really makes it stand out more. It's not just the frame, although I do love the new frame. It works well with the piece. Despite this, I am not sure if I would know how to frame my pieces if I ever decided to. I don't know much about frames or framing, I would probably play it safe until I knew what I was doing.

the simpler the better

What a nice surprise- I am delighted to see this project shared with so many who truly appreciate the talent, creativity and artistry involved. The frame was crafted by Eli Wilner & Company where I am the gallery director and have worked since 1986. Eli championed period frames when people were regularly discarding them. As a framer for over 35 years I see frames as a marvelous distillation of sculpture, architecture, craft and fine art. Thanks, Chappell!

The frame really brings the piece to life. I love how detailed the frame is. Very beautiful work of art.

The quiet co-star … couldn’t agree more!! I believe any work of art is such as a whole, frames are not there just to “hold” a beautiful painting, they can certainly add to it, and a great deal! I apply the same principle to the jewelry I make, a beautiful bead is much more so if framed by an equally beautiful thread, so that in the end you create a beautiful piece of art, not just a necklace. Hurrah for the quiet co-stars in every art field!!!

I collect paintings, and the frame can often be more valuable than the painting itself. Many impressionist painters (and others) made their own frames.

A frame can really make or break a painting. You need to find one that highlights and embodies the feeling/message of the painting, without overshaddowing it. Great job on the new frame, bold and brave!

A tradition that is shared both in the arts of East Asia and the West, re-creating a lost piece utilizing the technique and crafts of the past which helps modern artists to use those skills to create something different or unique. Even though a lot goes into creating a frame for a work of art, the effort given to recreate the frame is wonderful and educational for those involved.

That new frame is quite beautiful. One of the most prolific experts on these old frames, used to drive around Manhattan in the 70's on garbage day -- where he would find and pick up for free, some of the most beautiful and gilded frames placed out on the sidewalks for the garbage truck, out of old mansions and brownstones. His collection is worth millions, and he was also featured in the now defunct Connoisseur magazine back in the 80's.

Yeah! My whole Etsy business is based on vintage frames. I love to go thrifting and when I find hidden gems that others saw no value in :)

Framing is an art by itself. I have always struggled to frame my own art work; first the cost is as expensive as the art and then finding the right one and framing it correctly is a challenge. Painters paint! Framers frame and both create the finished product. When I paint commissioned projects the frame is seperate from the cost and always suggest people go to a proffesional

The frame can make or brake a piece of art. I have to admit I liked the more elaborate frame for Washington Crossing the Delaware. I also think it is important how the artist themselves thought the painting should be framed. After all it was their muse, inspiration, and handiwork that brought the art into this world.