PICTURE FRAMING MAGAZINE Ornamentation In Frame Design

Ornamentation in Frame Design
The top rail of this
frame (shown
vertically) features a
guilloche band and
scrolling acanthus
leafs surmounted by
a shell.
A History of Ornamentation
In the past, the embellishment of picture frames of great merit was largely
derived from architectural patterns found in classical antiquity. R. Ackerman’s
book, A Selection of Ornaments for the Use of Sculptors, Painters Carvers and
Modellers, published in 1819, was the kind of publication that influenced all
aspects of interior design, including that of picture frames.
However, there are many other sources of inspiration. Many designers of
frames are motivated by conventional, pre-established patterns. Standard ornaments,
such as the acanthus leaf, anthemion (also called honeysuckle), egg and
dart, laurel leaf, lambs tongue, lotus leaf, and others, are all repeated
throughout the centuries, in a profusion of perambulations.
Such historically proven ornamentation can still fail, however. Most failures
are evident when the ornament is out of proportion to the moulding
profile. In some instances, the placement of the ornament and
repeating patterns is ill-conceived—based on the whim of
the designer rather than sound principles of design. As we
look at these frames, a disquieting sense of impropriety
becomes evident to ourselves (and even to our
customers), although we usually don’t understand
why.
However, in a frame created by a designer who
followed established historic examples of design,
such as The Golden Mean of ratio, proportion, and
balance, the arrangement of seemingly disparate
design elements develops into a symbiotic harmony,
producing a pleasing result and cohesiveness of design.
We are often drawn instinctively to such designs, and
greater study can help us understand why.
As English architect-designer Owen Jones (1806-1899) declared
in his seminal treatise, The Grammar of Ornament, “True beauty results from
that repose which the mind feels when the eye, the intellect, and the affectations,
are satisfied from the absence of any want.” (Just as framers often have
clients who say, “I don’t know what I’m looking for, but I’ll tell you when I see
it.”) Jones’s strong conviction was that historical styles should be used for inspiration
rather than imitation.
Sources of Good Design
It is not easy to define what makes a good and enduring design. Learning to
recognize it evolves from an examination of historical examples and leads to an
analysis of the shape or profile of ornament in relation to its size and placement
upon the surface of the moulding. Ornament design should be based on a
geometrical construction, and this construction should be appropriately decorated—decoration
should never be purposely constructed.
In the classic treatise, Ten Books on Architecture, the Roman architect