Art of Picture Framing - Its Evolution with Time

Everyday you see your most important photograph framed in a beautiful picture frame, have you ever tried to know about its journey? Like any other thing which came into existence and then transforms itself with time, picture frames have also come a long way with time.

The first picture frame came much before you can imagine. Infact they were present even before the photographs came into existence. The first picture frame was noticed by the ancient Egyptians. The picture frames during those times were usually used as a decorative device for Egyptian and Greek paintings. The wooden frames in the 2^nd century AD were mostly surrounding the painting to give it a more dignified look.

The drastic change in the picture frames started when they arrived in Europe in the 12^th-13^th centuries. The new frames were a single piece of wood that has been carved into a raised border and backing. The area provided for painting has to be covered in a plaster with a glue mixture. Soon the artists realized that this kind of frame making is both time and money consuming. The next step was to find an alternative which will be attractive but less expensive. It was time for the introduction of modern “engaged” frame design. The new frame was made of mitered molding strips which were attached to the wooden panel. Though some artists argue that this newly designed picture frame was similar to the one-piece carved frames, these frames were yet so different. These newly designed frames were easier and cheaper to produce making it an instant hit among artists. Though frames were still considered luxury, these less expensive frames increased their usability in the artwork.

 With the advent of the culture of commissioning most of the artwork in the 14^th and 15^th century, these bulky and expensive frames started to diminish from the market. As more and more wealthy estates started commissioning their private artwork, portable frames came into existence as against the one which were made directly into the surrounding architecture. These frames were designed and crafted by furniture makers and not by artists, making them cheaper and handy. Further advancements were made with elaborate carved ribbons, leaves and other embellishments with the passage of time.

With the invention of photographs in the 1800's, picture frames took a giant leap in the kind of alternatives they came up with. With innumerable shapes, designs, colors and features picture frames have only grown both in their demands and popularity. Even further advancements have been made with the introduction of digital frames. In fact, it would not be an exaggeration to say that as long as society will have paintings, photos and portraits, frames will be there to protect and enhance them.

You can design your memories in your own way with the online picture framers like PaintBoxNolita, PaintBoxArt Framing , PaintBox Soho. They have years of experience and expertise in the field of picture framing. This is a one-stop solution for all your needs pertaining to custom designed Frames, hand-crafted frames, floating frames. Come add color to your artwork with utmost care and precision.