The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1890-09-18
ON PlcTURE.FRAMlNc.
SsSErstisns as to the Hest Way to Trane
Pictures TasLily.

SsaasErstisns as to the Hest way to FRAN
Pictures TasLily.
"A very large per cent of the picture
sased Il. decorate our walls are ruined
aiy the framing Why this should bt
So. what particular fault has rendered
tasis or that picture so disappointing
Eeqassssts u power of analysis and mic,
Discrimination few of us have time q
Ability 60 exert The decorator FIRE
~queHtsy knows no more of the proprie
Ntics IN the case than the carpenter who
saws oat and fits the moulding, and is
firmly persuaded that the most eXpen.
size is necessarily the handsomesl
frame At an army post, with it's
isaea@rc resources. one does not expect
10 had everything eonanae IL fat, but 8
1ew months ago parlor was furnished
by Il bride on the frontier that in many
respects might serve us model for
'nsoru ambitious surroundings. The
pictures. especially, attracted attention
as something very superior, but a
closer inspection showed that, though
<.;irefHlly chosen, much of the beauty
Was due to the appropriateness OF the
settings The etchings were enclosed
BY mat, three to five inches in width.
&%Yond which was a strip of oak about
an fitc-i wide. not varnished but pol
Ssssess- Ii the etching and mat made a
picture, say foot and a half long, the
frame WAS two inches wide, with Il
Sery marrow gilt strip next the mat.
"A picture, blue in tone, had darker
'Slue mat, and Il very narrow white
aeaste with a bit of gilt beading. A
frsIiS piece with black back aground was
vesy handsome without a mat, but
with 81 dark, oid-oak frame, fiat, and
fully four inches in width A black
atnd gilt beading ornamented the outer
edge Small water-colors were framed
I'm Che same manner us the etchings,
aud were equally effective; while two
photographs, larger than cabinet size.
was simply framed in two-inch board
covered with deep crimson velvet.
All this sounds commonplace enough,
vet one has but to compare two copies
of an etching, engraving or photo
Gcapt, framed, the one as Indicated
above with broad white margin and
simple strip of wood moulding, and
che other with the DID, florid, gold-leaf
square of plaster and wood, rising like
AZ wall from the edge of the picture, to
be convinced that half the picture are
spailed oy the mode of framing. Until
within 4 very few years, no attempt
was made to vary the stock patterns.
5tft with the renaissance of art in all
Il feeling has grown up
that the frame is subject not I'm.
worthy the artist himself Indeed, the
frame is sometimes made to give Il re-
election OF the subject of the picture.
Aud there is danger that this very
reaching after artistic effects may
,t,verslsadow the picture itself. In the
same way the ''remarque" which is
SO much priced on the margin of an
etching, is rapidly bringing itself into
undue prominence, and dividing atten-
'eion that should be centered on the
MAIN picture.
Ghe reasons for a frame are three
fold: First, to strengthen the founda-
don, whatever it may be-. second, to
bold the glass. if there be one; and
third, TO border the picture so as to di
vide It from surrounding objects Ito
conhne the gaze. as it were. With this
fn View it is evident that the frame
mast he so quiet in aspect as not to con-
fe,td for distracting notice, much less
for precedence.
1t seems to be universally conceded
that gilt frames are the most desirable
Tor Oil paintings, but experience teaches
that even to this rule there are excep.
slaas- If a pictures of modest colorinc
and low IN tone be surrounded by one
OF these glittering frames half its value
will be lost. Attention has often been
~s.allcd to the Madonna di San Sisto at
Dresden. which is mounted in a dark
rvelset frame, while the Madonna dell
, s,cdia at Florence, by the same artist,
rs surrounded by an elaborately carved
and gilded frame. The result is that
tine comparatively cold and heavy pic
aare at Dresden seems to have the rich
and Luminous coloring only present in
ahs one at Florence, while the latter is
damned BY the glitter of its surround
Iugs-
In a downtown gallery two large
paintings by Mile. Dyiekouska, which
aye said to have received the approval
ssf the Paris Salon, are simply enclosed
au dark old wood frames, harmoniZing
ds tone with the background, and vet
chose pictures stood out with a dis
fiuetness unequaled by any others in
zhe rooin- 1t may be they would have
sit.eu as noticeable. or more so, under
otiser circumstances-it cannot be de-
MED that gold always seems to enrich
-wh.tever it touches, and that the huge
old-fastaioned, profusely-carved frames
around some Masters seem so appro-
pirate as to be inseparable from the
picture; but, for us moderns, it is wise
TO be careful that the picture does not
seem an excuse for the frame instead
at Che frame being designed for the
picture
Gilt frames are plainly out of place
GA cngravings and photographs. Sill
yer, Ola the contrary, goes detestably
with caloring, and the colored frames
shat profess to carry out the scheme of
.coloring in the picture have tendency
80 set ones teeth on edge. The same
nlay lie said of so-called golden mats
which rob any picture of its brightness
and look like what they gilt paste
'.oard- Good Housekeeping.
Medical Superstitions.
There is popular supposition of