The early frames of history
Possibly the earliest remaining examples of frames as we know them, are the ones originating from ancient Egypt (Fayum) and date to between the first and fourth centuries AD8. These frames contained wooden panels with paintings of gods (fig. 14). Though today only three panels have survived with their original frames, research concludes that it was a much more common practice. Besides these panels, ornamental borders were also used in paintings and pottery as a method to divide scenes.
The technique of using frames as a narrative tool remained relevant throughout time. In gothic and renaissance art, triptychs are a popular carrier of media. A triptych is a set of three interconnected frames or panels, often connected through hinges. A famous example of this is "The Garden of Earthly Delights" (fig. 15), by Hieronymus Bosch. By effectively splitting the painting into three, the painting tells a story from multiple perspectives. In Bosch's garden we simultaneously see Eden, Hell, and Earth.
In one of their lectures, Sam Fogg and Peter Schade look at Dieric Bouts' work entitled "Justice of Emperor Otto III: Beheading of the Innocent Count and Ordeal by Fire" (fig. 16). Here we see another clever way frames have been used to create immersion. "The painting features an architectural element that references the frame itself"9. We find a similar instance to this approach in "The San Giobbe Altarpiece" (fig. 17), by Giovanni Bellini, which brilliantly emulates the architecture of the chapel in which it was originally presented. Currently, the work is on display in Gallerie dell'Accademia in Venice. Where it is unfortunately stripped from its original frame and context. (fig. 18), "It is important to think about a painting out of the context of its original frame as just a fragment"10.
The early frames of history
Possibly the earliest remaining examples of frames as we know them, are the ones originating from ancient Egypt (Fayum) and date to between the first and fourth centuries AD8. These frames contained wooden panels with paintings of gods (fig. 14). Though today only three panels have survived with their original frames, research concludes that it was a much more common practice. Besides these panels, ornamental borders were also used in paintings and pottery as a method to divide scenes.
The technique of using frames as a narrative tool remained relevant throughout time. In gothic and renaissance art, triptychs are a popular carrier of media. A triptych is a set of three interconnected frames or panels, often connected through hinges. A famous example of this is "The Garden of Earthly Delights" (fig. 15), by Hieronymus Bosch. By effectively splitting the painting into three, the painting tells a story from multiple perspectives. In Bosch's garden we simultaneously see Eden, Hell, and Earth.
In one of their lectures, Sam Fogg and Peter Schade look at Dieric Bouts' work entitled "Justice of Emperor Otto III: Beheading of the Innocent Count and Ordeal by Fire" (fig. 16). Here we see another clever way frames have been used to create immersion. "The painting features an architectural element that references the frame itself"9. We find a similar instance to this approach in "The San Giobbe Altarpiece" (fig. 17), by Giovanni Bellini, which brilliantly emulates the architecture of the chapel in which it was originally presented. Currently, the work is on display in Gallerie dell'Accademia in Venice. Where it is unfortunately stripped from its original frame and context. (fig. 18), "It is important to think about a painting out of the context of its original frame as just a fragment"10.
The early frames of history
Possibly the earliest remaining examples of frames as we know them, are the ones originating from ancient Egypt (Fayum) and date to between the first and fourth centuries AD8. These frames contained wooden panels with paintings of gods (fig. 14). Though today only three panels have survived with their original frames, research concludes that it was a much more common practice. Besides these panels, ornamental borders were also used in paintings and pottery as a method to divide scenes.
The technique of using frames as a narrative tool remained relevant throughout time. In gothic and renaissance art, triptychs are a popular carrier of media. A triptych is a set of three interconnected frames or panels, often connected through hinges. A famous example of this is "The Garden of Earthly Delights" (fig. 15), by Hieronymus Bosch. By effectively splitting the painting into three, the painting tells a story from multiple perspectives. In Bosch's garden we simultaneously see Eden, Hell, and Earth.
In one of their lectures, Sam Fogg and Peter Schade look at Dieric Bouts' work entitled "Justice of Emperor Otto III: Beheading of the Innocent Count and Ordeal by Fire" (fig. 16). Here we see another clever way frames have been used to create immersion. "The painting features an architectural element that references the frame itself"9. We find a similar instance to this approach in "The San Giobbe Altarpiece" (fig. 17), by Giovanni Bellini, which brilliantly emulates the architecture of the chapel in which it was originally presented. Currently, the work is on display in Gallerie dell'Accademia in Venice. Where it is unfortunately stripped from its original frame and context. (fig. 18), "It is important to think about a painting out of the context of its original frame as just a fragment"10.
Marie Svoboda, Caroline Cartwright, and J. Paul Getty Museum, eds., Mummy Portraits of Roman Egypt: Emerging Research from the APPEAR Project, First edition (Los Angeles: J. Paul Getty Museum, 2020)↩︎
Sam Fogg and Peter Schade, “How We Look at Art: Frames and Framing,” ↩︎
Fogg and Schade.↩︎
The early frames of history
Possibly the earliest remaining examples of frames as we know them, are the ones originating from ancient Egypt (Fayum) and date to between the first and fourth centuries AD8. These frames contained wooden panels with paintings of gods (fig. 14). Though today only three panels have survived with their original frames, research concludes that it was a much more common practice. Besides these panels, ornamental borders were also used in paintings and pottery as a method to divide scenes.
The technique of using frames as a narrative tool remained relevant throughout time. In gothic and renaissance art, triptychs are a popular carrier of media. A triptych is a set of three interconnected frames or panels, often connected through hinges. A famous example of this is "The Garden of Earthly Delights" (fig. 15), by Hieronymus Bosch. By effectively splitting the painting into three, the painting tells a story from multiple perspectives. In Bosch's garden we simultaneously see Eden, Hell, and Earth.
In one of their lectures, Sam Fogg and Peter Schade look at Dieric Bouts' work entitled "Justice of Emperor Otto III: Beheading of the Innocent Count and Ordeal by Fire" (fig. 16). Here we see another clever way frames have been used to create immersion. "The painting features an architectural element that references the frame itself"9. We find a similar instance to this approach in "The San Giobbe Altarpiece" (fig. 17), by Giovanni Bellini, which brilliantly emulates the architecture of the chapel in which it was originally presented. Currently, the work is on display in Gallerie dell'Accademia in Venice. Where it is unfortunately stripped from its original frame and context. (fig. 18), "It is important to think about a painting out of the context of its original frame as just a fragment"10.
Marie Svoboda, Caroline Cartwright, and J. Paul Getty Museum, eds., Mummy Portraits of Roman Egypt: Emerging Research from the APPEAR Project, First edition (Los Angeles: J. Paul Getty Museum, 2020)↩︎
Sam Fogg and Peter Schade, “How We Look at Art: Frames and Framing,” ↩︎
Fogg and Schade.↩︎
