Lot 1240 | Italy | Casette Frame

Italien
16th C.

Casette Frame. Carved and with original polychrome gilding. Light dimensions: 43,5 x 30,5 cm.
Strip width: 12,5 cm.
Outer dimensions: 69 x 56 cm.

Provenance:
Private ownership, Germany.

Besides merely protecting the delicate surface of a painting, frames have a much more
important task: they complement the painting and really make it stand out. They make
colours glow and add three-dimensional depth to the works. Sometimes they also bring the
right historical context, without which the painting cannot work.
From an extensive collection, VAN HAM is able to offer around seventy exceptional
historical frames this autumn. These four representative works shown here refer to the
bulk of the frames that will be auctioned in parallel via our ONLINE ONLY auction from the
10th to the 23rd.
The collection includes southern European frames from the 16th to 18th centuries, as well
as some French examples, mainly frames from Spain and Italy. The dimensions are mainly
cabinet size, with individual larger formats rounding off the offering.
Frames - especially if they are made of plaster on wood or are preciously gilded - have
suffered repeatedly over time, so that they have to be replaced again and again. Tastes
have also changed over the centuries, so old frames are often lost. A special feature of
our very special compilation is that the individual frames are usually in a very good and
original condition. There are hardly any restorations to be seen and when they do, they do
not distort the age character that accounts for the charm and authenticity of the piece.
They are typical works for their respective times, but still not standard goods. The
frames represent a wide range of different decors and stylistic developments and for this
reason alone have documentary value.
The frames shown here are therefore the perfect complement, not only for presenting
paintings from their respective eras, but also increasingly as an exciting contrast for
modern and contemporary works.