Close-up of a gilded frame corner mitre joint, gold surface slightly worn at the apex, dark background
Photo: Furkan Salihoğlu / PexelsLayer 7 of seven
FRAME
Moulding profiles, gilding, rebate depth — the frame as part of the picture rather than an afterthought.
Where FRAME sits
The stack, back to front, with band depth set by how much each layer carries here. FRAME is layer 7 of seven.
BEHIND IT ▼ LIGHT
NOTHING IN FRONT OF IT — THIS IS WHERE THE PICTURE MEETS THE ROOM
What to look for in this layer
- Profile width
- how the mass of the moulding prepares (or fails to prepare) the eye before it reaches paintFrom “The Picture Starts at the Moulding” →
- Water gilding
- bole layer of coloured clay allows burnishing; mirror-bright high points, deliberate matte passages in recessesFrom “Water Gilt, Oil Gilt, Spray — What the Difference Looks Like” →
- cassetta frame
- a flat, shallow profile of Renaissance origin, often inlaid with contrasting wood or stone; designed to border without competingFrom “Period Frames and the Wrong Century” →
- Rebate (rabbet)
- the stepped channel on the inner back edge of a frame into which the picture sits; sometimes called the sight edge's reverseFrom “The Rebate Too Shallow for the Painting” →
Everything in FRAME
4 pieces.
- The Picture Starts at the MouldingAn argument that framing is not neutral presentation but an active compositional force — how profile width, colour and depth change the weight and mood of the image inside. Uses historical framing choices as evidence.4 min read
- Water Gilt, Oil Gilt, Spray — What the Difference Looks LikeA factual comparison of the three main gilding methods by their surface quality, labour, reversibility and longevity. Distinguishes burnished water gilding from the flat finish of oil gilding in terms a non-specialist can see.3 min read
- Period Frames and the Wrong CenturyExamines the mismatch between historical paintings and the frames they currently carry — how pictures acquire frames from the wrong era — and what period-appropriate framing actually means in practice.2 min read
- The Rebate Too Shallow for the PaintingA short, practical explainer on rebate (rabbet) depth — the channel that holds the picture inside the frame — and what goes wrong when depth is insufficient: pressure on the canvas, corner damage, inability to fit the glazing.2 min read