If a picture is worth a thousand words, then consider the value of a good picture frame. Consider the role that picture frames must play in the presentation of art. For millennia people have looked for ways to augment, adorn and set off their art and have turned to the humble frame for inspiration. Sometimes though, the skill of the craftsman has rivalled that of the artist.
When our ancestor first began scratching on the walls of caves, he probably stepped back, grunted and knew that something was missing. Between hunting for food and avoiding being it, he mixed some ochre, a little blood and some very interesting animal droppings in which he had stepped and created a wonderfully rich colour. Despite experimenting with the amount of blood and the variety of droppings, he still felt his work wasn’t being seen in its best light. It looked so small on the expanse of the cave wall. He would have to paint the entire wall.
But his companion, having suffered through the long guttural murmurs of his disapproval for a season too long, may have wrenched from his hand whatever he used to draw and scratched a rugged perimeter around the scene. And so, the picture frame came into being.
In time the borders began to appear on vases, pottery and even on the paintings in tombs. They began to become decorative as mosaics and panels developed into works of art in their own right. Narrative scenes were displayed around images that recorded epic moments and eventually frames grew from borders and began to play an important part in displaying artworks.
By the end of the first millennium A. D., the practical purpose of the frame was at odds with its opportunity to exude and exhibit its sparkle and splendour. As the sixteenth century came to a close, a new age had seen the creation of picture frames that displayed the opulence and excesses of the times. Leaves intertwined with spiralling shells ran the length of the frame and gold-leaf glowed about the works of Rembrandt and Wren.
When at last photography brought the beauty of pictures into the life and home of the common man, the need for frames to reduce in grandeur was evident. A simple piece that embellished the picture, but refrained from overwhelming it, now had a place.
Frames for milestones and special events have gained popularity. Specialty pieces to celebrate friendship and first steps are produced in huge numbers and in ranges of colours to coordinate with any decor. Yet there is still a place for the less demonstrative, understated elegance that can surround an Honors Degree or an Achievement Award.
While the role of the picture frame may have faced many changes from the scratched border around the cave painting, its function is still to bring the best from the picture it surrounds.
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