Collecting and Using Antique Gesso Gilt Frames
Determine the Age, Price it and Decorate with a Victorian Frame
Sep 24, 2009
Gilt frames from the past were built for decorative purposes as well as a means of protecting the painting. Those gilt frames have stand-alone value in the antique world, especially the more ornate frames. A stand-alone frame has probably outlived a punctured painted canvas.
Some antique frames deter from the painting, due to overly ornate carvings of cupids or other flourishes and are better suited to a mirror than an antique landscape painting. Those old gesso and gilt frames are being sought after today for this purpose.
Determine the Age of Antique Frames
Frames original to a painting will show their age on the back in the construction of the frame itself in the original wood. The wood will have darkened with age. The gesso embellishments were added to the wood.
Old paintings would not be seen in a plastic frame. Carefully study the frame to determine the material used. Contemporary reproduction frames can trick the eye. There are some very good copies, but stapled corners and new wood are easily visible.
A bad reproduction frame may show splotchy yellowy paint on the reverse. This is an undercoating before the gilding and embellishments were added.
Some paintings with frames are reproduced to look like originals. Knowing how to determine the age of both paintings and frames will assist the collector in making an informed purchase.
How to Use Antique Frames
Many old gilt and gesso frames are prized and quite valuable because they may have been crafted by a noted frame maker of the past or they are very ornate and can be used for other purposes.
The most popular way these old frames are used is for framing mirrors. Large ornate frames without the original paintings are works of art. Contemporary decor can be juxtaposed with a large ornate antique gilt mirror standing against a wall or above a fireplace.
As stand-alone art, collectors hang the frame itself on the wall with frames graduating in size placed within. Collections of anything should be displayed together for eye appeal and this is also true with frames. This can be a stunning piece of wall art.
Decorators of Cottage Chic are also using antique gilt mirrors and painting them white. This is one way to hide the chips in the gesso and still preserve the frame from further damage. Chippy frames are prized among decorators who love this white-on-white and cottage chic style.
Where to Find Antique Frames
Like anything vintage or antique, old gilt frames always show up at flea markets, thrift stores, yard sales and country auctions. Online auctions are also a good source, but due to the frame's size, shipping fees can greatly add to the final cost.
Price Guide for Antique Frames
Chippy frames can be found for as low as $1. Those in good condition are generally between $10 and $150. Rare and very large frames can be $10 K or more in high end antique and decor shops.
References
- Mary Webster
- The Secret Lives of Frames, Deborah Davis, Filipacchi Books, 2006
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