What is the difference between a studio easel and a display easel?

Studio easels are heavy, functional wooden frames built with mechanical cranks and adjustable brackets to hold active canvases during the painting process. Display easels are generally lighter or more decorative structures designed to exhibit finished artwork in a gallery or home setting.

How do folio stands work?

Folio stands feature pairs of sloping wooden sides joined by folding stretchers and supported by canvas or leather slings. They keep large loose prints, drawings and maps flat and accessible without creasing the paper.

Can these stands hold heavy modern framed art?

Most nineteenth-century studio stands and mahogany folio racks were engineered to support heavy oil paintings and thick wooden stretchers. Their solid oak or mahogany frames provide substantial weight capacity for large modern art.

How do I identify the period of an easel?

Period identification relies on timber choice, hardware style and construction methods such as hand-cut dovetails or cast iron ratchets. Regency pieces often feature polished mahogany with brass fittings, while Victorian items lean towards ebonised finishes and heavy oak.