Where to find antique picture frames

We expressed, of course, just a point of view and not a dogma. Besides, standpoints change in time depending on many variables: the economy, the availability of materials, etc. In short, during the Baroque era, artists push themselves even further than Renaissance artists. As the world had just got out of the ages of darkness Middle Ages , there was a huge wish to exaggerate the research of wellbeing and richness that started during the Renaissance era.

Check our gallery of Baroque picture frames. What defines the Rococo style is an exceeding of intricate leaf decorations over the sides. They are quite similar to Baroque ornamentations except for a few differences. First, Rococo style frames have a softer structure. So, generally, they weigh less than Baroque frames. Second, they have ornaments that are not specular. If you look carefully, you will notice that Baroque-style frames are composed of very centered and specular ornaments over the sides.

On the other hand, Rococo frames are made with ornates that run freely around their structures. Rococo frames appeared in France around the s. They last until the s so that they lasted much longer than Baroque models. Besides, experts define the Rococo style as a derivation of Baroque art. Rococo frames evolved from the Baroque style, exceeding even more in virtuosity and abundance. During the Baroque and Rococo eras, carved mirror frames became very common to decor interiors.

The new rising bourgeoisie made large use of them to show off their power. Probably that is the reason why the Rococo style evolved through compositions even more complex than Baroque models. Check our gallery of Rococo picture frames. Neoclassical frames spread over Europe around the s. During that time, Neoclassical art developed after the previous discovery of Pompeii and Herculaneum. Indeed, architects started to study in-depth classical architecture to synthesize the new trend style that would take form with Neoclassicism.

Symmetrical and uncomplicated forms define Neoclassical frames. Carvers and gilders pay more attention to balanced geometry than rich ornamentation. The style in itself is a reaction to the exaggerations of Rococo art, and its central core is the necessity of regaining the ancient harmonious traditions of the classic world. As the Renaissance did years earlier, Neoclassicism dug deeply into ancient Greco-Roman art to recover the aesthetic balance of traditional ornaments.

It is essential to understand the profound analogy between Roman art, the Renaissance, and Neoclassicism. Follow the links below to see the similarity between a Renaissance frame and a Neoclassical frame. You will see a parallel in the typical Cassetta structure, the geometry of the forms, and the use of lacquer on the flat central surfaces.

Neoclassical picture frame Renaissance picture frame. The main difference between the two frames is the color of the paint. Renaissance typically used red, blue, and black paint, while Neoclassical frames are in white lacquer. Check our gallery of Neoclassical picture frames. The Empire style is the evolution of Neoclassicism. The connection between the two is so strong that you could have a challenging time distinguishing them.

Decorations and symbols remain almost the same; what slightly changes is the general structure of the profiles and the finishes. The typical shape of Neoclassical frames is the Cassetta flat structure. On the contrary, Empire frames have a deep concave surface to form their profiles. To synthesize, curved moldings are the main elements of Empire profiles, while flat lacquered surfaces determine Neoclassical frame shapes.

The second consistent difference between Neoclassical and Empire antique frames is the finishing. Although the two styles made extensive use of gold leaf, the ladder tends to mix walnut surfaces and gold. So, apart from the structure, you would tell apart the two styles by the red walnut surfaces of the Empire frames. Empire art is an early 19th-century artistic movement. It started under Napoleon and lasted a couple of decades. Its influence disappeared around when new style trends took over the traditional ways of art design.

See two typical example of Empire frames: Empire gilded frame Empire walnut frame. Check our gallery of Empire picture frames. Since the s, many art movements related to visual arts developed in Europe. We decided to bring all of them together in this last section under the name of Eclecticism because they share one major intent: freedom.

The Eclectic movements that influenced paintings and frames have been created under the logic of mixing ornaments and structures of the past. As a result, artists covered hundred years of history of art, from Gothic to Empire, gathering elements to free art from rules. The newborn trends are so different that their description would take tough work to do.

Dogma, intended as in previous artistic styles, disappeared. For this reason, a new generation of artists was free to create art following instinct and knowledge without any specific rule. We are still able to find excellent examples of craftsmanship among Eclectic movements. However, the excess of freedom in the creation process leads to results sometimes not very high, compared to previous styles. Clicking on the links below, you will be able to reach the product gallery pages of the main styles of our reproduction frames.

We cover a range of styles that goes from the late 15th century to the early 19th century. Down below, you find links to the major period frames that we cover.

They are the same frames linked above, but this time categorized by era. The process of aging a frame is done by several tricks that master gilders do following a precise order.

The finishing techniques we are referring to, exist since the beginning of the 20th century. Since then, framers have been using reproduction frames to enrich old paintings. First of all, you have to rub the gilded surface with steel wool pads. You have to be careful with this first step. If you do, you will obtain a gilded surface too distressed. So be careful and try to go step by step. You could even rub the frame a bit more after other steps are finished. Watch a video on our Youtube channel about the technique: Rubbing out the picture frame surface.

This is the second step to age a frame. They are supposed to be very ruined as the ones of antique frames. The secret is to hit gently and gradually the gilding; otherwise, the risk is the same as rubbing too much. You go step by step, slowly, and proceed distressing with little cracks and broken parts all along the sides. You could even add a few fake wormholes using a nail. Both steps of this process are shown in the videos below:. How to distress a picture frame How to fake wormholes.

Shellac is the crucial material when it is a matter of darkening a reproduction frame. We use it with wood, gesso, real gold, and Dutch gold leaf so that it is product number one when you do framing and restoration. If you melt dark Earth powder and a bit of black powder into it, shellac will become even darker. You now can lay several hands of it upon the gilded surface. Alcohol, in fact, evaporates quickly and shellac gets dry instantly.

The quantity of hands of shellac one has to apply depends on its density. The denser it is, the less you are going to apply. Find down below a couple of video showing the shellac and the way you should use the brush:. The color of the shellac Applying the dark shellac.

Follow the links below to see the finishings based on shellac that we realize. All our antique picture frames are Made in Italy and the finishings below are just an example of what we can do.

Usually, frames are rectangular or, in a few cases, square. In our production, you will find other kinds of shapes. We listed below the different forms of our antique frames for sale. Why do we advise customers to go for the giltwood mat? We always recommend an outer square or rectangular structure of the frame because the entire body of the work would be more robust. Ordering one of the above uncommon kinds of frames without the mat would cost more.

Why would a simpler frame cost more than a more elaborated one? A Brookes. Northern Antiques. Piers Rankin Antique Silver. Helios and Co Antiques. Atropos Antiques. Andrew Nethercott Antiques.

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