Cassetta frame
Unknown Artist
ca. 1785, style Louis XVI
Medium
Oak
Dimensions
Overall: 16 5/8 × 17 7/8 in. (42.2 × 45.4 cm) Sight: 12 1/4 × 15 1/2 in. (31.1 × 39.4 cm) Rabbet: 13 1/8 × 16 3/8 in. (33.4 × 41.6 cm)
Classification
Frames
Culture
French
Department
Robert Lehman Collection
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Robert Lehman Collection, 1975
Accession Number
1975.1.2539
Art Historical Context
This elegant **Cassetta frame**, crafted around 1785 in the Louis XVI style, exemplifies the refined neoclassical taste of late 18th-century France. from sturdy oak—a durable hardwood prized for its stability and fine grain—the frame features a classic cassetta profile: a flat outer border framing an inner recessed molding, designed to harmoniously encase and elevate paintings. Its precise dimensions (overall 16⅝ × 17⅞ inches) reflect the meticulous craftsmanship of French ébénistes, who treated frames as integral artworks rather than mere supports. Louis XVI style, inspired by ancient Greek ...