The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1919-05-18
PICTURES MAY MAR
DECORATIVE PLAN
Even Works Of Art Spoil
Rooms Appearance When
Framed appropriately.

II 1t were not for their frames pictures
on our walls would not be the mistakes
they often are. dnartistlc. or worse. In
correct framing is an even greater null
sance in an otherwise passable room
than characterless prints or canvases
that have no intrinsic value. The black
and white tones OF the one and the
pretty combination of colors in the other
may blend tremendously into the tones of
a room, but wide expanse Of gilt or
brown wood never. A decorator who
knows anything about his art cannot
always induce his clients to hang bad
pictures in a closet but he may succeed
in having them reframed so that part OF
their sting is drawn.
Unfortunately he Is rarely consulted
until after tho pictures have been
framed, and then II becomes his almost
Impossible duty to reconcile bad lines
and glaring surfaces in his otherwise
tranquil plan.
There are fashions in picture frames.
but no rules. Some time ago the shadow
box which used to enshrine a worthless
copy of Murillo or q Corregio-the two
old masters that all girl students learned
10 paint from in the S0s-was discard
ed: SO also were many'of the broad
Dutch gilt monstrosities of framing
which were then used Unfortunately
on portrait, landscape and steel engrav-
ing. So far so good, but these horrors
were not always replaced by something
better New styles came in, yes. to take
their places, but these were used with
out reason. Now the frame most in de-
mand is one which draws it's character
from the rich Italian renaissance, where
fruit and flowers, coronets, ribbon bows.
Cupids and several other things mingle
together in a mad confusion. Such q
frame has its place after 1t has prop
erly chosen its picture. but one sees 1t
employed on a cattle piece. a pastoral
view. even a photograph, and this in
discriminate use tells spectator that
the frame was selected for no better
reason than the fact that clusters Of
highly colored fruit and masses OF gilt
are fashionable.
Frame Maker often to blame.
Nor are the poor persons who frame
the cattle scene, photograph. ct al, at
the very highest cost to themselves, al
ways to blame the frame maker comes
In for a large share. 1t is his duty
10 point out 10 Il CUSTOMER tHe Hilbtdhe
he is making and he may gently sub
stitute a more suitable dress for a pic
turo as n possibility without offence.
Indeed at least one half of his Gus
toners frankly confess their helpless
ness and leave the decision to him. So
he decides. too often, on the most elab-
crate and expensive frame.
Common sense should tell the frame
maker that he has no right to a de-
cision until he has seen where the
framed picture is to be hung. beside
what other pictures it will hang and
in what prevailing atmosphere. To ac-
quire this knowledge would give him
the right to decide. Nothing else does.
Certainly it would take a little moro
time and he must have more than the
requisite commercial knowledge and
feeling. but he can put all these items
in his bill.
A Trainer did Just this recently and
had to ask the law to help him collect
the money for his work. In explana-
ton for its expensiveness he para
Ihrased Whistler in his reply. IT mix
brains with my framing" said he. and
the magistrate passed his account.
The use of a picture in a room Is to
decorate it. What the picture Is and
whether or not II has a value as art
is secondary. Remember we are speak
ing OF a room and not an art gallery.
When II was first realized that pictures
could lend a great deal to place where
human beings lived their decorative
feature was the first thing considered.
Therefore they were painted on the
walls and frames were not thought Of
A little later the big frescoes were found
too hard to live with and smaller pieces
painted on canvas were let into panels
on the walls. That remains the best
way to frame pictures. by means of a
circle or a square opening provided in
the wall which serves it as a frame.
OF course such wall paintings were part
of the ROOM it was designed to receive
them and they were executed to fill
these certain reserved spaces. Removed.
hideous vacancy ensued that could
not be covered up by hanging some
thing over It and the room at once
looked despoiled.
The nearer one can return to this old
fashion of panelled pictures the surer
one is to reach the true decorative use
of livable pictures.
Proper Balance Important.
Not all of US can have a panelled room
with decor painted for It. That Is true
and not all of us would care for the
somewhat stiff effect OF this decoration
carried out as 1t ought to be, with
careful attention paid to balance, bu
with this idea of decor in ones mind
one starts on the correct way to hang
ones pictures.
To most people that Is a task from
which they shrink they willingly trans
fer it to the picture Trainer and he is
seldom an expert. Really it offers
fewer difficulties than are dreaded. Bal
ance must be preserved: a wide ives
wall should not be hung with one big
picture whilo its vis-a-vs Is strung
with a collection of little ones. No pic
ture of size should be left without a
supporting piece of furniture beneath
II. Little dabs of bright color are out
of place, even disconcerting, on a plain
wall background. These are simple rules
for picture disposition that are gener-
ally understood but all the same fire.
quently transgressed.
But however many mistakes one
makes, and every picture hanger is
likely to make some error. don't make
the first one. which is to hang your
pictures first, that is before the furni-
ture of the room is In place. Better.
far better, is 1t to stumble and swear
over picture wire always on the Turk
to grab you, better to break a picture
glass or two In your uncertain progress
about the Uttered up place than to get
"the pictures OFF the floor" as most OF
us are inclined to do. No, arrange the
furniture, put the consoles in their places
H. IL