Cassetta frame
Unknown Artist
mid-18th century
Medium
Poplar
Dimensions
Overall: 9 15/16 × 18 1/2 in. (25.2 × 47 cm) Sight: 6 7/16 × 15 1/16 in. (16.4 × 38.2 cm) Rabbet: 7 1/16 × 15 9/16 in. (17.9 × 39.6 cm)
Classification
Frames
Culture
Southern Italy
Department
Robert Lehman Collection
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Robert Lehman Collection, 1975
Accession Number
1975.1.2195
Art Historical Context
Nestled in the Robert Lehman Collection at The Metropolitan Museum of Art, elegant *cassetta* frame hails from Southern Italy in the mid-18th century Crafted from poplar—a lightweight, workable hardwood favored by Italian frame-makers for its affordability and ease in carving intricate profiles—this frame exemplifies the refined carpentry of the period. Its dimensions (overall: 9 15/16 × 18 1/2 in.) are modest, suggesting it once cradled a small portrait, landscape, or devotional painting, with precise "sight" and "rabbet" measurements indicating a snug fit for the artwork within. The *casset...