Black and Gold Picture Frame with a Gilded Inner Frame

A black and gold picture frame in which a deep, satin-sheen black meets the mirror-bright glow of genuine gold. It is a two-part mounting: the outer moulding is a deep black profile, and set within it is a separate, fully gilded inner frame, finished in 22-karat moon gold over red bole. The black has a satin sheen and brushwork visible in raking light, while the narrow gilded inner frame draws the eye into the composition. It is an ornate, hand-made frame for oil and acrylic paintings on canvas, lending a piece gallery gravity and underlining its value.

The frame is made in two parts. The outer moulding is a deep, milled profile: on the outer side a rounded outer edge forms the highest point and flows into a deep cove, a broad concave hollow that sweeps down towards the centre, closing on a small bead. Set within it, as a separate element, is a narrow gilded inner frame (a gilded slip), covered entirely in genuine gold leaf and burnished with an agate stone. It is this inner frame that carries the rabbet which holds the work. The tall black moulding, a classic reverse, coved profile, and the warm shine of the gilded inner frame create a contrast that steers the gaze inward.

Specification

• Style: classic, gallery; deep reverse coved profile with a gilded inner frame
• Construction: two-part: a black outer moulding with a separate, set-in gilded inner frame
• Outer moulding finish: black, satin sheen (hand-painted, wax-finished)
• Inner-frame gilding: genuine gold leaf, water-gilded, 22-karat moon gold over red bole, burnished with an agate stone
• Total width: 62 mm (outer moulding 52 mm + gilded inner frame approx. 10 mm)
• Outer moulding depth: 38 mm
• Rabbet depth (sight rebate): 10 mm or 20 mm, selectable from the menu (10 mm shown)
• Material: solid low-tannin timber, used in museum and art-conservation contexts
• Corners: mitred and reinforced with wooden splines
• Glass: not included; archival options at extra cost (see "Complete framing")
• Backing: optional Dibond panel, at extra cost
• Fixing: spring clips (standard) or brass plates with screws (on request)
• Hanging: portrait or landscape, on cord
• Use: oil and acrylic paintings on canvas, works on paper, framed photographs

The dimensions describe the complete frame including the moulding; the rabbet that holds the artwork is correspondingly smaller. Each frame is made to the size of your painting, with a 2–3 mm technical allowance so the work sits freely and the frame edge overlaps it by roughly 4–5 mm.

Which artworks and interiors it suits

Deep black with a gilded inner frame is a versatile choice, though never a neutral one. It is at its best with oil and acrylic paintings on canvas, both pieces in a classical, low-key palette and bold, contemporary compositions that a strong frame brings to order. The black-and-gold contrast flatters portraits, still lifes and landscapes, as well as works on paper or photographs behind a mount. On the wall it anchors a considered hang, at home in classical interiors and equally at ease in modern, minimal spaces and intimate galleries. You will find the full range in this tone among our black picture frames.

How it is made

The outer moulding is milled from solid low-tannin timber, a species used in museums and conservation for its stability and chemical neutrality. Before any finishing, the frame is assembled: the corners are cut at 45° and reinforced with wooden splines, which keeps the joins clean and the structure stable for years. Only on the assembled frame do I build the ground, laying multi-layered gesso and red bole. The black of the outer moulding is built up in layers: successive coats of paint are applied by hand, sanded between coats and finally wax-finished to a satin sheen. The gilded inner frame is water-gilded, the gold laid leaf by leaf, each overlapping the last by about a millimetre to form a single layer of gold (22-karat moon gold). These overlaps remain visible in the burnished gold, and their evenness is a mark of the gilder's hand; they are also a tell-tale sign of genuine gold leaf laid over gilder's water rather than an imitation. The surface is then burnished with an agate stone until it is mirror-bright, and sealed with traditional shellac and wax. You can read more about the gilding technique on our water gilding page.

How it differs from mass production

In a mass-produced frame the moulding is usually a ready profile wrapped in foil or spray-painted, with imitation standing in for gold. Here every stage is done by hand: milling, the layered painting, a separate inner frame covered in genuine gold leaf by the water method, agate burnishing and spline-joined corners. The result is a surface with natural depth, black that carries the mark of the brush rather than a flat factory sheen, and gold that shifts in the light like metal, not like print. Each frame is made singly, for one particular painting.

Functionality

The frame is supplied without glass, with a fixing prepared for a canvas on a stretcher. As standard the work is held in the rabbet by factory-fitted spring clips, which you simply turn to remove or change the painting. On request I include brass plates with screws for a permanent, self-installed fixing. The frame can hang portrait or landscape (selected in the product options); cord is included, with a single D-ring on request. The deep outer profile can also be made without a rabbet, as a floating (shadow-gap) frame, in which the canvas appears to hover in a narrow gap with its edges exposed, a solution typical of contemporary painting.

Complete framing — additional options

Every frame can be completed with a full archival mounting prepared in the workshop: glass, archival backing and matting. All components are available as a custom add-on — quote on request.

Glass — four classes available

Opti White, 4mm — low-iron glass with a neutral, colourless appearance (no green tint typical of standard float glass). Available up to 90×90 cm — the only option for larger works.

Ultra Vue UV70 (Tru Vue), 2.0mm — anti-reflective glass with 70% UV protection, low-iron. Available up to 60×80 cm.

Art View — premium-class anti-reflective glass: reflection reduced below 1%, up to 75% UV protection, scratch-resistant coating, low-iron, can be cut and mounted from either side. Meets ISO 18916 (Photographic Activity Test) — safe for archival photography. Premium quality at an accessible price. Available up to 60×80 cm.

Optium Museum Acrylic (Tru Vue) — top-tier museum acrylic: over 99% UV protection, museum-grade reflection reduction, anti-static, lightweight, shatter-resistant. The museum standard for conservation work and archival photography. Available up to 60×80 cm.

Archival backing

Dibond 3mm aluminium composite panel — two layers of aluminium with an acid-free polymer core. Rigid, chemically neutral, dimensionally stable. An industry standard in archival photographic framing and art conservation.

Mounting and matting

Acid-free foam board — chemically neutral, will not yellow over time, will not react with paper or photographic emulsions. Archival standard.

Full museum framing

Combining anti-reflective UV-filtering glass, acid-free matting, Dibond backing and conservation hinging tapes provides a museum-grade mounting — protecting the work from light damage, acid migration from typical framing materials, and mechanical distortion. This type of framing is used in museums, galleries and private collections.

To order: all of the above components are available as a frame add-on on request. Please get in touch with the dimensions of your work and your preferred glass class — I will prepare an individual quote.

Made to measure

Each frame is made to the size of your painting. Simply send the dimensions of the work and I will allow a small technical margin so the piece sits freely. The rabbet depth, 10 or 20 mm, is selected from the order menu according to the thickness of your stretcher.

Gold-leaf tones available for the inner frame:

• 23-karat yellow gold, the most intense, warm shine,
• 22-karat moon gold, calmer, subtly cooler and paler (the version shown, over red bole),
• 12-karat white gold, light and close to silver.

Other gold tones and other bole colours (among them brown, grey, plum and Victorian grey) are made on request. The outer moulding can also be painted in any colour from a curated, richly pigmented paint range, in a satin-sheen or high-gloss finish.

The base price shown is the price per running metre of moulding. The perimeter of the painting is not the full length of moulding a frame needs: corners cut at 45° take up additional length, more so the wider the moulding. The calculator accounts for the full moulding usage with corners, along with any chosen extras: glass, backing and fixing.

The online price calculator supports artwork sizes up to 120×80 cm. Larger formats are made to individual order.

Lead time: 20–30 working days. For details of size, colour and archival framing please get in touch and I will prepare an individual quote.

Frequently asked questions

Is the frame supplied with glass?

No. As priced, the frame is prepared for a canvas on a stretcher, without glass. Glass (including anti-reflective UV-filtering glass), Dibond backing and acid-free matting are available as archival framing at extra cost, with a quote on request.

Which rabbet depth should I choose?

The rabbet comes in two depths selectable from the menu: 10 mm and 20 mm. The deeper 20 mm rabbet suits thicker stretchers, or where you also plan to add glass and backing. The version shown has the 10 mm rabbet.

Which gold is the inner frame gilded with?

As standard, 23-karat yellow gold, 22-karat moon gold or 12-karat white gold, each over your chosen bole colour. The version shown is moon gold over red bole, laid by the water method and burnished with an agate stone.

Can the outer moulding be made in a colour other than black?

Yes. The outer moulding is painted in any colour from a curated paint range, in a satin-sheen or high-gloss finish; the gilded inner frame is specified separately.

How do I order a made-to-measure frame?

Send the dimensions of the painting and the frame is made with a 2–3 mm allowance. The calculator supports formats up to 120×80 cm; larger sizes are made to individual order.

What is the lead time?

20–30 working days, depending on format and finish.