Hollow frame
Unknown Artist
1845–55 (style ca. 1755)
Medium
Oak lower moldings and feather keys; lime upper moldings.
Dimensions
Overall: 18 11/16 × 21 9/16 in. (47.4 × 54.8 cm) Sight: 11 5/8 × 14 5/8 in. (29.5 × 37.1 cm) Rabbet: 12 1/4 × 15 1/4 in. (31.1 × 38.7 cm)
Classification
Frames
Culture
French
Department
Robert Lehman Collection
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Robert Lehman Collection, 1975
Accession Number
1975.1.2270
Art Historical Context
Nestled in the Robert Lehman Collection at The Metropolitan Museum of Art, this "Hollow frame" exemplifies the refined craftsmanship of mid-19th-century France. Dated 1845–55, it revives the ornate style of around 1755, a nod to the opulent Rococo or Louis XV era when frames were as much art as their paintings. Crafted from oak for the sturdy lower moldings and feather keys—traditional wooden wedges that secure joints—and lighter lime wood for the intricately carved upper moldings, it measures 18 11/16 × 21 9/16 inches overall, with a sight size of 11 5/8 × 14 5/8 inches. The "hollow" constru...