The diamond drill. (Crystal Falls, Iron County, Mich.) 1887-1996, 1890-10-11

Suggestions as To tho Best way 20 Frame
Pictures Hastily.


A very large per cent of the pictures
used 10 decorate our walls are ruined
by the framing. Why this should be
so, what particular fault has rendered
this or that picture so Disappointing
requires a power of analysis aud nice
discrimination few of us have time OF
ability TO exert. The decorator fire.
quently knows no more of the proDrie-
ties in the case than the carpenter who
saws out and fits the moulding, aud is
firmly persuaded that the most cxpen-
siye is necessarily the handsomest
frame. AT an army post. with It's
meagre resources. one does not expect
to find everything CONNIE u taut. but a
few months ago parlor was furnished
by bride on the frontier that In many
respects might serve as model for
more ambitious surroundings. Toe
pictures. especially. attracted attention
as something very superior. but a
closer inspection showed that. though
carefully 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.
beyond which was "A strip of oak about
an inch wide. not vanished but poll
ishcd. IL the etching aud mat made
picture. say foot aud half long, the
frame was two inches wide, with
very narrow gilt strip next the mat
A picture. blue IN tone, had a darker
blue mat aud very narrow white
frame with a bit Of gilt beading. A
fruit piece with black background was
very handsome without mat, but
with dark. oid-oak frame. Hat. and
fully four inches in width. A black
and gilt beading ornamented the outer
edge. Small water-colors were framed
in the same manner as the etchings,
aud were equally cifcctive; while two
photographs. larger than cabinet size.
was simply framed in a two-inch board
covered with deep crimson velvet
All this sounds commonplace enough.
yet one has but TO compare two copies
of an etching. engraving or photo
graph. framed. the one as indicated
above with broad white margin and
simple strip of wood moulding, aud
the other with the old. 1orid. gold-leaf
square of plaster and wood. rising like
n wall from the edge OF the picture, 70
be convinced that half the picture are
spoiled bv the mode of framing. Until
within a very few years no attempt
was made TO vary the stock patterns.
but with the renaissance of art in all
departments "A feeling has grown up
that the frame is subject not un.
worthy the artist himself. Indeed the
frame is sometimes made To give re-
lection OF the subject of the picture.
And there Is danger that this very
reaching after artistic effects may
over-shadOw the picture itself. In the
same way the "remarQuen which i
SO much priced on the margin of an
etching. is rapidly bringing itself into
undue prominence, and dividing atten-
ton that should be conferred on the
main picture.
The reasons for a frame are three
fold: First TO strengthen the founda-
ton, whatever il may be; second, to
hold the glass If there be one; and
third, TO border the picture so as to di.
vide IL from surrounding obiccts-to
conline the gaze, as il were. With this
in view il is evident that the frame
must be SO quiet in aspect rs not TO con-
tend for distracting notice, much less
for precedence.
1t seems TO be universally conceded
that gilt frames are the most desirable
for oil paintings, but experience teaches
that even 10 this rule there are eXcep.
tons. If a pictures OF modest coloring
and low in tone be surrounded by one
OF these glittering frames. half its value
will be lost. Attention has often been
called TO the Madonna Iii San Sisto ut
Dresden. which Is mounted in dark
velvet frame. while the Madonna dell
Scdia at Florence by the same artist,
is surrounded by an deliberately carved
and gilded frame. The result is that
the comparatively cold and heavy pic
ture at Dresden seems 60 have the rich
and luminous coloring ouly present In
the one nj Florence. while the latter is
dimmcd by the glitter OF its surround
ings.
In downtown gallery two large
paintings by Mile Dyiekouska. which
are said 10 have received the approval
of the Paris SaioR, are simply enclosed
in dark old wood frames. harmOnizing
In tone with the background. and yet
those pictures stood ont with "A dis
tinctncss unequaled by any others in
the room. IL may be they would have
been as noticeable. or more So under
other circumstances cannot be de-
MED that gold always seems TO enrich
whatever il touches. aud that the huge
old-fashioncd. prOfuscly -carved frames
around some Masters" seem so appro-
pirate as to be inseparable from the
picture; but, for Us modcrns Il is wise
to be careful that the picture does not
seem an excuse for the frame. instead
Of the frame being designed for the
picture.