PICTURE FRAMING MAGAZINE Ornamentation In Frame Design

Cover Plates from R. Ackerman’s book, first published in 1819, A Selection of Ornaments for the Use of Sculptors, Painter’s Carver’s and Modellers. In its
day, this publication influenced all aspects of interior design, especially picture frames. (Shown courtesy of the International Institute for Frame Study.)
Introduction
No matter what our profession, we cannot truly grasp knowledge
unless we also add to it—otherwise, creativity and intellectual
growth will stagnate. This is especially true with regard
to the design of picture frames. An understanding of the
history of architectural ornaments—their origins, the context
of their use, and the methods used to create them—is essential
to our knowledge of fine period frames.
Frame designers must know the relationship of each ornament
to another, which ornaments are appropriate to the
various stylistic periods, and how each ornament should be
positioned on the frame’s profile. Framers who work with
period frames must also understand how the use of various
ornaments has come to define certain stylistic periods, and in
the process, learn to recognize well-designed frames. It is also
important to recognize how ornament is created: Was it
carved into the frame, applied as composition, or embossed
into the surface of the profile?
Acquiring a strong vocabulary in frame ornamentation
builds credibility with customers and industry peers; recognizing
a well-designed and historically accurate period frame
helps build a better frame selection for your business and
bolster greater confidence at the design counter. A familiarity
with historical ornament can help you identify period frames,
for example, and that knowledge will, in turn, help you to
suggest suitable and period-appropriate frames for various
artworks.
February 2004