Ogee frame
Unknown Artist
1700–1710
Medium
Oak
Dimensions
Overall: 11 1/4 × 11 in. (28.6 × 28 cm) Sight: 7 1/2 × 6 7/8 in. (19 × 17.5 cm) Rabbet: 8 11/16 × 7 13/16 in. (22 × 19.8 cm)
Classification
Frames
Culture
French
Department
Robert Lehman Collection
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Robert Lehman Collection, 1975
Accession Number
1975.1.2235
Art Historical Context
Nestled in the Robert Lehman Collection at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, this ogee frame from 1700–1710 exemplifies the refined craftsmanship of early 18th-century France Crafted from oak—a sturdy, versatile hardwood prized for its durability and fine grain—the frame measures 11¼ × 11 inches overall, with a sight opening of 7½ × 6⅞ inches. Its namesake ogee profile features elegant, double-curved S-shapes that create a rhythmic, undulating contour, a hallmark of the transitional period between Louis XIV's grand Baroque opulence and the lighter Rococo style emerging under Louis XV. Ogee fram...