Deciding whether to frame a canvas painting all depends on your preferred aesthetic. An unframed, stretched canvas has a modern, minimalist look that leaves no distraction from your artwork. If you’re an artist who stretches your own canvas and lets your painting bleed around the sides of the canvas, this can be an especially pleasing look. If, however, you work with pre-stretched canvas, you will probably want to frame your painting since it may not be as ideal to paint on the edge of your canvas. Rather than look for glass-covered frames, you'll want to find open back frames. These hold your artwork without covering your painting with glass.