Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1890-09-11
ON PlcTURE.FRAm,Nc
suggestions As to the Best way to ~
Pictures Hastily.

~ "Seo' "'o Jul Wills are ruipad
by the framing. Why this should Ho
so. what particular fault has renda.os
this or that picture so disappointinc
requires power of ANALYSIS and ~
discrimination few of us have time
ability to exert. The decorator ~
quently knows no more of the pronr;o
ties IN the case than the carpenter WI
saws out and fits the MOULDING. and !,
hrmly persuaded that the most eynen'
sive is necessarily the handsomsa,
frame. At an army post. with ~
meagre resources. one does not eynao,
20 find everything CONNIE il faut bpt /,
few months ago a parlor was furnished
by bride on the frontier that in lnanv
respects might serve as a model for
more ambitious surroundings. Tba
pictures. especially. attracted attention.
as something very superior, bnt ,
closer inspection showed that, tbouob
carefully chosen. much of the beanfv
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 abon,
an inch wide, not vanished, but mol.
ished. If the etching and mat made
picture, say a foot and 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, and very narrow white
frame with a bit of gilt beading. A
fruit piece with black back ground was
very handsome without a mat, but
with IA dark, old-oak frame, fat, 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,
and were equally effective; 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, and
the other with the old, tlorid, gold-leai
square of plaster and wood. rising like
a wall from the edge of the picture, tc
be convinced that half the picture are
spoiled by the mode of framing. Until
within very few years. no attempt
was made to vary the stock patterns
but with the renaissance of art in all
departments feeling has grown uI
that the frame is subject not I'm.
worthy the artist himself Indeed, the
frame is sometimes made to give n re.
Election 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 ''remarque" which is
so much priced on the margin of an
etching. is rapidly bringing itself into
Undue prominence, and dividing atten
ton that should be centered on the
main picture.
The reasons for frame are three
fold: First, to strengthen the founda'
ton, whatever it may be; second, to
hold the glass. if there be one; and
third. to border the picture so as to di
vide it from surrounding objects-to
confine the gaze, as it were. With this
in view it is evident that the frame
must be so quiet in aspect as not to con-
tend for djstracting notice, much less
for precedence.
1t seems to be universally conceded
that gilt frames are the most desirable
for OF paintings, but experience teaches
that even 10 this rule there are eXcep'
tons. If pictures of modest colorlne
and low in tone be surrounded by one
of these gllttering frames. hall Its value
will be lost. Attention has often been
called to the Madonna di San Sisto at
Dresden. which is mounted in "A dark
velvet frame. while the Madonna dell
Sedia 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 to have the rlch
and luminous coIoring only present 10
the one at Florence. " nile tho latter
dimmed by the glitter of its surround
ings.
In downtown gallery Two large
paintings by Mile. Dyiekouska' when
are said to have received the approval
of the Paris Salon, are simply enclosed
in dark old wool frames, harmonlzng
in tone with the background, and yet
those pictures stood out with as
tinctness uuequa,ed by any Others IN
the room. 1t may be taey would nave
been as noticeable or more so, nndeF
other circumstances cannot be de-
MED that gold always seems to enrIch
whatever it touches, and that the huge
old-fashioned, profusely-carved frames
around some Masters" seem SO appro-
pirate as to be iuseparabe from the
picture; but, for us moderus, 1t 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.
Gilt frames are plainly out OF place
on engravings and photographs. oIl-
yer. on the contrary. goes detestaoty
with coloring, ald the colored frames
that profess to carry ont the scheme oil
coloring in the picture have tendency
to set ones teeth on edge. The same
may be said of so-called golden mats
which rob any picture of its brightness
and look like what they are-gilt paste
board. Good Housekeeping.
When a Woman is Well Dressed