Black Picture Frame with Gilded Edges for Canvas Paintings

A black picture frame with gilded edges for canvas paintings, made to measure for one particular work. The gold trim frames the painting twice, once at the sight edge and once at the outer edge, and the black between them keeps attention on the canvas. Both edges are water gilded in 23-karat gold leaf. I make the frame for oil and acrylic paintings on a stretcher; with glazing added, it also suits prints and photographs.

Profile of the moulding

Next to the painting, the face opens with a profiled inner edge, set below the plane of the face. Beyond it runs a broad flat that takes up most of the 72 mm width and forms an even background for the painting. At the outer contour a profiled outer edge of similar outline repeats, this time raised above the plane of the flat: it is the highest point of the face. Both profiled edges are gilded, while the flat stays black, as does the side of the frame.

Specification

• style: black frame with a broad flat and gilded inner and outer edges
• finish: flat and side painted black by hand; whole frame sealed with shellac and wax, satin sheen
• moulding width: 72 mm
• moulding thickness (face to back): 37 mm
• rebate: 7 mm wide, 15 mm or 20 mm deep, chosen in the order menu
• material: low-tannin timber of the kind used in museum work and art conservation
• corner joining: mitred corners reinforced with wooden splines, joined before gessoing
• gilding: water gilding in 23-karat gold leaf on red bole, on both profiled edges; other shades of gold on request
• glazing, backing and mat: optional, priced individually
• mounting and hanging: sprung clips and picture wire; portrait or landscape orientation chosen in the order menu
• suitable for: oil and acrylic paintings on stretched canvas; prints and photographs with glazing
• lead time: 20–30 working days

The dimensions you enter into the calculator are those of the painting, not of the frame. I make the frame 2 to 3 mm larger than the work, so the canvas sits in the rebate without pressure, and the moulding covers about 4 to 5 mm of its edge.

Paintings and interiors it suits

The broad black flat separates the painting from the wall, and the gilded accents mark its border without competing with it. The frame suits oil painting in strong colour and work in a darker key, such as portraits, still life and landscapes in a warm palette; with glazing added, it also takes original prints and black and white photography. In an interior it works in a classical room as well as in a modern one with pale walls, and the gold picks up brass, oak and warm lighting. Other painted frames with gold trim follow the same idea in different widths and colours.

Making and finishing

I join the corners before any finishing begins: the lengths are mitred and reinforced with wooden splines, so each corner holds as one piece under the gesso. The timber is low-tannin, of the kind used in museum work and art conservation.

Then comes the traditional water gilding sequence. I build up the gesso in successive coats and smooth it, brush red bole over the two profiled edges and lay the 23-karat leaf onto the wetted bole piece by piece, each leaf overlapping the last by about a millimetre, which gives a single continuous layer of gold. The red bole gives the gilding its warm depth. Finally I paint the flat and the side black by hand and seal the whole frame with shellac and wax; the black has a satin sheen and does not compete with the painting.

As standard the edges are gilded in 23-karat gold on red bole. On request I will lay a different shade of gold, chosen against the colouring of your painting; the shades are described on my water gilding page.

How it differs from mass production

A mass-produced frame is usually a length of moulding wrapped in gold-effect foil or sprayed with bronze paint, then cut and stapled on an assembly line. Here the corners, the gesso, the bole, the gilding and the paint are all done by hand in my one-person workshop, and the gold is genuine leaf, which does not dull and darken the way a metallic coating does. The frame is also made to the measurements of one painting rather than to the nearest standard size, so the canvas needs no packing and no forcing.

Functionality

As standard I make this frame without glazing, as a direct setting for a painting on a stretcher. You choose the rebate depth in the order menu: 15 mm (about ⅝ in) takes a typical stretcher, 20 mm (about ¾ in) a deeper one, and if yours is deeper still, write to me before ordering. For works on paper, prints and photographs the frame can be glazed and backed; those components are outside the calculator and priced individually.

The same profile can also be made without a rebate, as a floating frame, with a visible gap around the painting and the sides of the stretcher on view. I explain the construction in my guide to floating frames for canvas art.

Frequently asked questions

Is the whole frame gilded, or is it painted with gold trim?

It is a painted frame with gilded accents. Only the two profiled edges carry 23-karat gold leaf; the broad flat and the side are painted black. For a frame gilded across its whole face, see my gold gilded picture frames.

Which gold tone should I choose for an oil painting?

The 23-karat yellow gold on red bole used here is warm and full, and it suits a warm palette, strong colour and darker paintings. A cool palette of greys and blues, or a painting in a pale key, is often better served by a paler or cooler shade of gold, which I can lay on request. Send me a photograph of the painting before ordering and I will suggest a shade.

Can this frame take conservation-grade low-reflection UV glazing?

Yes. Paintings on canvas are normally left unglazed, so the frame comes without glazing as standard, but for works on paper, prints and photographs I can fit conservation-grade low-reflection UV glazing with an archival mat and backing. The low-reflection classes go up to 60 × 80 cm (about 23½ × 31½ in); all these components are priced individually.

Can a gilded frame be made within a tighter budget?

Yes, and the saving comes from the profile, not from the gold. The price is set per linear metre of moulding, and a wider moulding also uses more length at the corners, so a narrower, simpler profile with gilded accents costs less while the gold stays genuine leaf. Send me the size of your painting and I will suggest options.

Complete framing – additional options

Every frame I make can be completed with full archival and museum-quality framing: anti-reflective UV-filtering glass (four classes to choose from), acid-free museum mat board, spacers wrapped in acid-free paper and a Dibond backing. This kind of mounting protects the work from light, acids and distortion. I set out the full glass and material specification on a separate page: archival and museum framing for paintings and photographs. All components are available at extra cost, as an individual quote on request.

Mounting and hanging

As standard the frame is fitted with sprung clips, which turn to release and make it easy to change the canvas. On request I fit brass plates with screws instead, supplied loose for you to install for a permanent fixing. For hanging, the frame takes picture wire as standard, with a single D-ring hanger available on request; you choose portrait or landscape orientation when you order.

Ordering to measure

Measure your painting to the millimetre and enter its dimensions into the calculator, then choose the rebate depth and the hanging orientation.

The base price shown on the page is the price per linear metre of moulding. The perimeter of the painting is not the full length of moulding the frame needs: corners cut at 45° take up additional length, more so the wider the moulding. The calculator accounts for the full run of moulding including the corners, along with the options you select.

For this moulding width the calculator handles artworks up to 180 cm around the perimeter; anything larger is made to individual order, so send me the dimensions and I will price it. Lead time is 20–30 working days.