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Tales from Behind the Frame

Seeing that tomorrow is July 4th, we were reminded of a project we did in 2013 for FAPE. The project gave us the amazing opportunity to take an up close and personal look at a rare piece of American History, the original frame of one of a handful of known existing copper plate engraving prints of an original version of the 1823 Stone Declaration of Independence.

Through FAPE, Gold Leaf Studios was given the opportunity as part of a project that would reproduce the document in a limited edition large enough for each U.S. embassy worldwide and place each copy in custom handmade frames. The frames we handcrafted were based on a design that was modeled after the Colonial styles of Charles Willson Peale (American, 1741-1827), renowned painter, Revolutionary solider and Co-Founder of the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts. To date, the Peale this frame is the only known surviving original frame associated with the 1823 Stone copy of the Declaration of Independence. The symbolic ornaments and aesthetic choices of the frame’s design, discovered by William Adair, are remnants of the spirit of the American Revolution.

But what we found behind the frame was equally fascinating. The back of the frame is covered in newspaper dating to 1824.

This little bit of newspaper pasted to the back of the frame, that was miraculously preserved by some kind twist of fate, has the date July 5, 1824. This is what enabled us to concretely date the frame as original to the document. If that paper had just rubbed off a half inch more to the left, that important bit of data would have been lost forever.

For perspective, Georgetown University was simply Georgetown College (see above) with classes beginning in 1792, not too long after we gained independence. The first year Georgetown boasted an enrollment of 40 students and the first two bachelor’s degrees were awarded in 1817, just a few years before the publication of the newspaper found pasted to the back of the frame.

And take a look at this section of the newspaper adhered to the back of the frame - one can only imagine what the missing passages of this column said...

"permitted to seek their own" "of individual" "embarrassments." "in searching for the" "state of things, it is not a little astonishing th... men should pass over the great political events which have obviously placed the United States in a new position in relation to the rest of the world"

So, always look at the back of the frame. They often tell some good stories of their own.

Happy Independence Day!

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Announcing our newest workshop - “The Art of Gilding: Incorporating Gold Leaf Into Your Creative Projects”.

Join us for this one day hands-on workshop on June 10th! Come to our studio and learn from Master Gilder William Adair. You will learn how to work with gold leaf on a variety of artistic surfaces, all while surrounded by centuries of gilding history. This workshop is designed for professional artists as well as hobbyists interested in learning the magic of gold leaf - Absolutely no experience is necessary. Reserve your spot by Registering Here.  Hope to see you there!

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Portrait of a Gilder by Voice of America

Have you always wondered what a Master Gilder does?  What conservation of historical pieces entails?  Get some of your questions answered by viewing this lovely short video by Voice of America about Gold Leaf Studios called “Portrait of a Gilder”. 

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Gold Leaf Studios is delighted to announce we will be partnering with internationally recognized Taxidermist Mickey Alice Kwapis for a workshop series in September 2017!  Mickey is a Chicago-based sustainable taxidermist who has been working in the industry since 2012.  Since then, she has taught countless workshops and been a guest educator at many prestigious educational and cultural institutions, including Portland State University, Harvard Museum of Natural History, and Chicago’s renowned Field Museum.  

The Washington, DC Cabinet of Curiosities Workshop will focus on entomology (preserving insects), osteology (bones), and botany specimens, with no prior taxidermy experience necessary.  Students will learn a variety of taxidermy methods such as insect rehydration, wet specimen embalming, plant specimen preservation, owl pellet dissection, and bone cleaning.  You will leave the workshop with the work you created as well as the tools you need to make more curious creations.  The workshops will be held September 8-10 at our historic studio, just steps away from Dupont Circle. Registration is now open.  Click here to find out how you can join us!

Images courtesy Mickey Alice Kwapis and Jim Vondruska

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IIFS and the Muscarelle Museum of Art

The International Institute for Frame Study (IIFS) is the first non-profit organization devoted to the study of frames and their history. Since its creation in 1992 by frame historian and curator William Adair, the Institute has presented one of the most important worldwide collections of archives related to frame history including photographs, books, catalogues, and drawings.

William Adair is proud to announce the donation of this seminal collection to the Muscarelle Museum of Art, in connection with the new museum building to be constructed on the campus of the College of William & Mary. The donation has resulted in the creation of the International Institute for Frame Study (IIFS) at the Muscarelle Museum of Art.

http://iifs.muscarelle.org/

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Ever wonder why your favorite painting at your favorite museum is covered in “glass”?  Read on to find out.

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The Artistic Frame

Exhibit runs at The Art League from November 8th - December 4th.

This  special exhibit features a collection of frames created by Art League students who have participated in workshops at Gold Leaf Studios under the tutelage of William B. Adair.   Mr. Adair is a frame conservator, frame historian, & master gilder who holds gilding classes designed to educate artists on the important relationship between art and frame as well as in the centuries old practice of gilding. 

Each artist in the exhibit created their own artwork & then developed frame designs to complement and become extensions of the work. The designs were then applied to the frames using the techniques of sgraffito and granito.

Mr. Adair, curator of the exhibit, gave a short talk in conjunction with the opening reception where he discussed the merits of each frame. 

 Clarice Smith was the exhibit’s juror, joined by William Woodward, who selected Crowned with Golden Acorns by Susan O’Neil as best-in-show for the exhibit     (middle above). For more information on the exhibit visit The Art League Blog.

All photos courtesy The Art League.

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The Gilded Door Project & Artworks For Freedom

William Adair’s The Gilded Door Project caught the eye of Kay Chernush of Artworks for Freedom several years ago.  She approached Mr. Adair with the idea of using his conceptual art project, where abandoned doors become portals to cross-generational discourse, carrying with them the voices of artists and individuals, to further her mission.  Mr. Adair found Ms. Chernush’s goal of ending human trafficking and modern slavery inspiring and so agreed to teach her how to gild the doors.    

On November 22nd, Artworks for Freedom (Kay Chernush, Founder & Artistic Director. on right with one of the project’s doors) was honored to be a part of Children’s Rights Day - The Power of Culture to End Sexualized Violence Against Children. The event was sponsored by Change Attitude, Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights, Swedish Institute, Embassy of Sweden and Save the Children Sweden at The House of Sweden.

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No matter whether you lean blue or red or somewhere in between, be sure to exercise your freedom to vote today!  The frame containing the Clinton drawing is a traditional American Sully Style frame, and Mr. Trump is enjoying himself in a gilded Baroque Medici Style Frame. Check out these original drawings by a friend of the Studio, Ari Post.  Ari and Gold Leaf Studios founder Bill Adair collaborated on this project to select frames which match the persona of the candidates.

To see more of Ari’s work, check out his website and Instagram: http://www.aripost.com/

https://www.instagram.com/aribenjaminpost/

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This is how we do Halloween at Gold Leaf Studios.  Take a look at our custom handcrafted bullseye mirror. A lot of blood was spilled in its making.  If you look closely, you may see a bit of blood on the teeth and the glint of jewels in the eyes of the snakes and bats. We are planning to gild the interior of the coffin and transform the piece into a coffin table.

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Learn from a Master Gilder

Have you ever wanted to learn the art of gilding?  Work with our very own William Adair.  Mr. Adair is a renowned master gilder who on rare occasions opens his studio to students.  Come gain hands-on experience with the timeless decorative methods of sgraffito, granito, and pastiglia. New and experienced students work side by side in his studio, a converted carriage house in Dupont Circle, housing an extraordinary collection of gilding and frames from around the world! Want to learn more about the class, please click on the following link. https://www.theartleague.org/school/course_desc.php?class_id=5166

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In The Studio with Freddy Rodriguez

We had the pleasure of having the artist Freddy Rodriguez in the studio. His work has focused on such themes as the colonization of the Americas by Spain, runaway slaves in the Americas and the dictatorship of Rafael Trujillo in the Dominican Republic.

As an artist Rodriguez (in hat above, with Gold Leaf Studios’ William Adair) incorporates gold into his works and is now interested in researching gold and its history.   He is planning to go to a number of major museums in Washington D.C. to discuss with scholars the use of gold in art and society, looking into events like the Spanish conquest of the Inca Empire and the California Gold Rush and how they changed the Americas. He is also interested in the origins of gold, which theory says that gold original came to Earth through a neutron-star collision in outer space long ago.  As part of his investigation, Gold Leaf Studios is happy to support Rodriguez in his research and his art. We even gave him a little hands on experience with gold leafing frames, as can be seen in the picture below.

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The Age of Louis

French history includes many kings bearing the name Louis. The same thing is true for frames. As the pictures below illustrate, the Louis XIII, Louis XV, and Louis XVI frames have similarities. Although, they (like each king) have their own, distinct styles.  We will highlight some of those distinctions here.

The Louis XIII frame (pictured above), was popular in the 17th century. The frame has a convex profile, with floral details carved around the entire border in a constant, unchanging pattern. The motifs are characteristically French but the frame was originally influenced by Baroque and Italian styles of the time. The floral design is smaller but is extremely detailed, and is often done with laurels or oak leaves.

 The Louis XV frame (pictured above), was popular in France in the early 18th century. Fitting into the Rococo period, the frame is very similar to the style of furniture seen in palaces and salons throughout France. The profile has a deep scoop and there are no straight lines or angles on the entire frame. Instead it is dominated by ornate, organic designs, often times with floral motifs. Like most Rococo frames, this particular Louis XV has a curved outer edge, often referred to as “swept”. This frame is also a great example of the process of recutting, where gesso is recarved to add details and pattern, almost like a three-dimensional engraving. This process was most popular in 18th century France and was rarely used in the 19th century. Instead in the 19th century many frames were cast in moldings due to a large, rising middle class who wanted stylish but affordable frames for their homes.

 The Louis XVI (pictured above) became more popular with the rise of Neoclassicism in the middle to late 18th century. Moving away from the ornate excess of the Rococo style, this frame has a simple design, constructed with detailed, but more austere decoration. This is shown in the example frame, where straight lines dominate the design, with only pearl ornaments around the outer and sight edges. The frame profile is also simpler than those of earlier frames, with less organic shapes and more straight edges. Louis XVI frames sometimes include cartouches that decorate the top of the frame, most often consisting of insignias, monograms, family crests, flowers, and ribbons. This added ornament without detracting from the simplistic Neoclassical style of the frame.

To obtain more information regarding frames, please look at these sources:

Adair, William. “Gold in the Basement: A Current Exhibition at the Getty Center in L.A. Extols the Rich Legacy of Historic French Frames.” Picture Framing Magazine Dec. 2015: 30-34.

Adair, William. The Frame in America: A Survey of Fabrication Techniques and Styles. Washington, D.C.: American Institute of Architects Foundation, 1983.

Janicki, Jennifer. Glorious Borders: Three Centuries of French Frames. Washington, D.C.: Gold Leaf Studios, 1999.

Karrakar, D. Gene. Looking at European Frames: A Guide to Terms, Styles, and Techniques. Los Angeles: J. Paul Getty Museum, 2009.

Mitchell, Paul, and Lynn Roberts. A History of European Picture Frames. London: P. Mitchell, 1996.

Example frames currently owned by Gold Leaf Studios.

Frame Dimensions:

Louis XIII Frame

           Sight Dimensions- 6 ¼ inches x 4 ¼ inches

           Outer Dimensions- 12 inches x 10 inches

Louis XV Frame

           Sight Dimensions- 7 inches x 4 7/8 inches

           Outer Dimensions- 12 1/16 inches x 10 inches

Louis XVI Frame

           Sight Dimensions- 9 inches x 6 7/8 inches

           Outer Dimensions- 14 ½ inches x 11 ¾ inches

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We recently donated some of our frames to a charity auction with Critical Exposure, a nonprofit organization that teaches young students to use the power of photography and their own voices to become effective advocates for school reform and social change. The event raised money to help sustain and grow programs for low-income youth in Washington, DC and across the country. The photos were taken by student and professional photographers alike, to help teach these children how to use the power of their images and voices to advocate for social change.

For this remarkable collection of photographs, we used a great number of frames, among them Dutch ripple patterns and Georgia O'Keeffe style moldings, inspired by the renowned pioneer of early photography Alfred Stieglitz (1864 - 1946), and his frequent collaborator Eduard Steichen. These men were both instrumental in making photography an accepted art form in the late 19th century, and their influence on picture frames remains present to this day.

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Our studio was privileged to frame this dignified and lovely portrait of Mrs. B.J. Capon by the 19th century American painter William Merritt Chase. We chose a James Abbott McNeill Whistler (1834 – 1903) style molding with fluted reeds, a characteristic portrait frame from Chase's time period, that enhances the high contrast of the piece without distracting from its austere beauty. We used an asphaltum glaze to tone the gilding down so as not to overpower the painting. In keeping with our axiom of framing portraiture, the width of the frame is roughly equivalent to the width of the head, which balances the viewer's perception of the image and frame. If the frame is too narrow, it makes the head look fat, and if the frame is too wide, the head will appear unnaturally small.

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We framed these four paintings by Monica Castillo, a contemporary Mexican artist, with a Stanford White molding, ornamented with grille work along the panel and husks along the inner edge. An artistic and architectural icon of his day who incorporated a myriad of international styles to help define the American Renaissance, Stanford White's frame designs often evoke Dutch and French traditions, as well as Spanish, as seen here. The husks are emblematic of the area's agricultural history, with Spanish colonial architectural influence in the grille work. Together they channel a sort of Spanish colonial ethos that pervades Castillo's haunting and powerful paintings.

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Hey William! Are you going to the Joshua Tree Music Festival this month? - Daniel Gordon (Phoenix Asteroid)

DanSorry but the door will beAt the JT inn Go check it out and make your mark in the desert nightWarm regardsCheck out the websiteWilliamadairartFor the full brunt