Black and Gold Oil Painting Frame

This black and gold oil painting frame pairs a calm, gallery form with a hand-finished, antique sensibility. The smooth, convex moulding is brushed in two tones of black, and its outer edge is gilded in 22-karat gold. An off-white inner liner acts as a passe-partout, separating the canvas from the dark moulding. I make each one by hand, sized to the individual painting.

Moulding profile

Closest to the canvas sits the off-white inner liner – a flat, wide section with a small fillet at the sight edge, which works as a passe-partout. It rests in the rabbet of the black outer moulding. The outer moulding itself begins with a low stepped sight edge, then its face rises in a broad convex sweep towards the crown, set nearer the outer edge. The rounded outer edge falls gently to the flat back that sits against the wall. The profile carries no ornament, and its character comes from the line of the convex face and the contrast between the dark moulding and the pale liner.

Specification

• Style: gallery picture frame, hand-painted, black with a gilded edge
• Outer moulding: two-tone brushed black, satin sheen; edge gilded in 22-karat gold using sgraffito
• Inner liner: solid wood painted off-white, acting as a passe-partout
• Outer moulding width: 44 mm
• Inner liner width: 50 mm (combined visible width about 94 mm)
• Moulding depth: 42 mm
• Rabbet: 7 mm wide, 20 mm deep (maximum stretcher thickness)
• Timber: solid wood, low in tannins
• Corners: cut at 45°, reinforced with wooden splines
• Gilding: 22-karat gold leaf on red bole, water gilding, on the outer edge
• Finish: shellac and wax
• Mounting: without glass, for oil or acrylic on canvas, hung on cord
• Lead time: 20–30 working days

The dimensions given refer to the outer edges of the finished frame, including the moulding and the inner liner. The opening for the artwork is correspondingly smaller, because I make each frame to the size of the individual canvas, with a 2–3 mm technical clearance.

Which artworks and interiors it suits

The frame works well with oil and acrylic paintings on canvas – portraits, landscapes, still lifes and abstract compositions, in both warm and cool tones. Black with a gilded, patinated edge suits classical and modern interiors, galleries and private collections alike. The off-white liner gives the painting room to breathe and settles the composition on the wall. If you are looking for a different colourway, you will find other black picture frames in my range.

Craftsmanship and finish

I build every frame by hand. I cut the corners at 45° and reinforce them with wooden splines before priming. After the gesso ground, I gild the outer edge with 22-karat gold leaf, using traditional water gilding on red bole – you can read more about this gilding work on a dedicated page. I then brush the moulding in two shades of black, a lighter, greyish tone and a deep black, leaving the brushwork visible. Finally I overpaint the gilded edge and partly scratch it back with sgraffito to reveal the gold, patinate the surface and seal everything with shellac and wax, giving a satin sheen.

How it differs from mass production

Mass-produced frames are pressed from ready-made profiles and covered with film or spray paint, in standard catalogue sizes. I build mine from solid wood, gild with genuine gold leaf, paint by hand and patinate each edge individually, so no two pieces are alike. I also size each frame precisely to the canvas, with a 2–3 mm technical clearance, so the painting sits securely.

Functionality

I deliver the frame without glass and prepared for a stretcher – the standard for oil paintings, which lets the canvas breathe. The rabbet is 20 mm deep, which accommodates typical stretcher bars. I can also make the same moulding without a rabbet, as a floating frame, where the canvas appears to hover within the moulding with a narrow gap all around.

Frequently asked questions

Is this frame suitable for an oil painting on canvas?
Yes. I design the frame for oil and acrylic paintings on canvas stretched over a stretcher. The 20 mm rabbet accommodates typical stretcher bars, and I supply the frame without glass, as is standard for framing paintings on canvas.

Can I change the moulding colour and the shade of gold?
Yes. I paint the moulding in two tones of black as standard, but I can match a different colour to your painting and interior. I gild with 22-karat gold; on request I can use a warmer, yellow gold or a cooler shade to suit the composition.

How wide is this frame at the front?
The black moulding alone is 44 mm wide, and the off-white inner liner adds about 50 mm, for a combined visible width of around 94 mm. The exact proportions depend on the size of the painting.

Can you make this frame in an unusual format, such as a round one?
Yes. I make every frame to measure. You can price formats up to 120 × 80 cm in the calculator, while larger sizes and unusual shapes, such as a tondo, are made to individual order – in that case please contact me before purchase.

Complete framing – additional options

Every frame I make can be completed with full archival framing: anti-reflective UV-filtering glass, a museum-grade acid-free mat, spacers and a Dibond backing. I describe this museum framing in detail on a separate page: archival and museum framing.

Mounting and hanging

As standard I secure the painting from the back with sprung clips, which let you change the canvas quickly. On request I fit permanent brass plates. I hang the frame on cord, in the portrait or landscape orientation you choose, and add D-rings if you prefer.

Made-to-measure ordering

I make every frame to measure, so you have full control over its appearance. The base price is the cost per running metre of moulding, but cutting the corners at 45° means each corner consumes additional length – the calculator on the site accounts for this, along with packing and delivery. You can price frames up to 120 × 80 cm in the calculator; larger sizes are made to individual order. The lead time is 20–30 working days.

in the calculator; larger sizes are made to individual order. The lead time is 20–30 working days.