Silver Framed Wall Art
Silver framed wall art covers centuries of mirrors, oils and reliefs, offering bright metallic borders that lift any room.
Silver Framed Wall Art
Silver framed wall art encompasses diverse decorative and fine art pieces, spanning from seventeenth-century portraits to mid-century abstracts and aviation scenes. Buyers searching for silver framed wall art encounter everything from carved silvered wood mirrors to oil paintings and repousse metal artefacts.
The selections available range across multiple historic periods including the Victorian era, Art Deco, Arts and Crafts, and mid-twentieth-century modernism. These pieces bring reflective surfaces and metallic borders into interior spaces through wall art, mirrors, and devotional items.
Materials and construction
Makers utilised wood, glass, canvas, paper, and brass, combining oil paint, ink, and gouache within metallic or silvered frames. Hammered metal, carved wood, and repousse techniques shape the borders that hold these varied works.
Artisans applied pigments to canvas, panel, and board, while mirror glass and pink mirror glass provide reflective qualities in girandoles and decorative wall hanging mirrors.
A vending machine mirror from 1930 stands ready to dispense reflections alongside fine art portraits.
Factors of quality
Quality rests in the execution of the primary work, whether hand-carved frames, detailed oil paintings, or precise marquetry, alongside the integrity of the silvering and materials. Earlier pieces display the depth of period craftsmanship through hand-worked metal and traditional painting techniques.
The harmony between the frame and the artwork distinguishes superior examples, where silvered wood or metalwork complements the canvas, mirror glass, or panel it encloses.
Sir Godfrey Kneller·Donald McIntyre·David Shepherd·Derek Latimer Sayer·A.J Rowley·Joseph Vickers de Ville·Jean Cuny
The Silver Framed Wall Art Glossary
- Repousse
- A metalworking technique where the metal is hammered from the reverse side to form a raised design in relief. This method creates textured surface patterns on frames and artefacts.
- Girandole
- An ornamental bracket mirror featuring attached candle branches or lights. These fixtures combine reflective mirror glass with functional illumination.
- Marquetry
- The art of applying pieces of veneer to a structure to form decorative patterns. This technique appears in specialised wall mirrors.
- Ex Voto
- A votive offering placed in a sacred place for the fulfilment of a vow. These devotional items often feature metal frames.
- British Baroque
- An architectural and artistic style spanning the seventeenth and early eighteenth centuries. It is characterised by ornate detail and dramatic portraiture.
Silver Framed Wall Art: Frequently Asked Questions
What periods do these pieces date from?
The collection spans multiple centuries, reaching from seventeenth-century British portraits up to mid-twentieth-century abstract works and aviation paintings.
Items reflect distinct eras such as the Victorian period, Art Deco design, and the Arts and Crafts movement.
How were these silver frames constructed?
Makers employed various techniques including hand-carved wood finished in silver, hammered metal, and repousse work.
Materials range from traditional carved wood to brass and mixed media components.
What types of artwork use these frames?
Silver frames enclose oil paintings, watercolours, gouache illustrations, prints, and abstract mixed media works.
They also house wall mirrors, girandoles, devotional icons, and tribal artefacts.
Are the mirrors antique?
Several mirrors date to the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, incorporating period glass and traditional frame designs.
Styles include Art Deco wall mirrors, Arts and Crafts hammered metal, and Chinese decorative wall hanging mirrors.