Antique Framed Art
Antique framed art brings centuries of portraiture, landscape and graphic work to the wall inside period surrounds of wood and gilt.
Antique Framed Art
When searching for antique framed art, buyers encounter oil paintings, watercolours, silhouettes, prints and maps spanning the seventeenth to the twentieth century. These works range from formal British oil portraits and Scottish landscapes to delicate Chinese pith paintings and hand-cut paper profiles.
The selection on this page leans heavily towards framed portraits and landscapes executed on canvas, paper and panel, housed within period frames that include carved wood, giltwood and Arts and Crafts metalwork.
Materials and technique
Makers utilised oil on canvas or panel, watercolour, gouache and ink applied to paper or pith, often finished with detailed hand-cut silhouettes and stipple engravings. These images are secured behind glass or left open on canvas.
Surrounding surrounds consist of carved wood, giltwood, copper and pewter, reflecting the decorative styles of periods from the Baroque and Georgian eras through to Art Nouveau and the twentieth century.
Materials recorded across the inventory include oil on canvas, paper, glass, wood, giltwood, ink and gold leaf.
Distinctions in quality
The standing of a piece rests on the precision of the handwork, the clarity of the medium whether oil or watercolour, and the integrity of the relationship between the artwork and its original frame. Skilled brushwork in portraiture and finely detailed cutting in silhouette work distinguish finer examples from standard decorative items.
Preservation of the surface pigment, minimal intervention over time, and documentation through signatures or inscriptions further elevate the standing of works across these historical periods.
Sir Godfrey Kneller·Charles Jervas·Michael Dahl·Sir Joshua Reynolds·William James Hubard·Kurt Lorein Victor Peiser·William Oliver·Richard Sebastian Bond·John Boydell·Pier Francesco Mola·James Watson·Edward Fisher·Jean-Baptiste Van Loo·Joseph Clover·William Beattie-Brown·George Fotherly Hargitt·Francesco Bartolozzi·Maurice Quentin de la Tour·Thomas Miles Richardson Jnr·Sir Martin Archer Shee·Bernard Hailstone·James Orrock·Henri Fradelle·William Henry Williamson·John Speed
The Antique Framed Art Glossary
- Mezzotint
- A printmaking process of the scraperboard family allowing halftone gradients without line networks. It produces rich, dark tones particularly favoured for eighteenth-century portrait reproduction.
- Pith painting
- Watercolour executed on the spongy internal pith of the Tetrapanax papyrifer plant. These delicate works originated primarily in nineteenth-century China for export.
- Silhouette
- A portrait cut from paper or painted in profile, popular in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. Artists used black card or reverse glass painting techniques to capture likenesses.
- Stipple engraving
- A method of producing prints by means of dots rather than lines. This technique creates subtle tonal transitions suitable for reproducing pastel drawings.
- Giltwood
- Wood that has been coated with gold leaf or metal powder over a prepared gesso ground. It defines the decorative frames of the Georgian and Victorian periods.
Antique Framed Art: Frequently Asked Questions
How do I hang antique framed art?
Support heavy oil paintings and gilt frames securely from wall studs using appropriate fixings rather than standard picture hooks.
Keep pieces away from direct sunlight and damp environments to protect the canvas, paper and wooden frames.
Are these frames original to the artwork?
Many pieces retain their period frames, such as Georgian giltwood or Art Nouveau metal surrounds, which complement the date of the artwork.
Inspect the rebate and backing boards for signs of age that match the period of the picture.
What is a silhouette portrait?
Silhouettes are profile likenesses cut from paper or painted in black pigment, often mounted behind glass with convex profiles.
They gained popularity during the Georgian and Regency periods before photography became widespread.
How are oil paintings on canvas cleaned?
Surface dust should be removed gently with a soft, dry brush by someone experienced in textile and painting conservation.
Avoid using liquid cleaners or household products on historic pigment and varnish layers.