Fragment of a cassetta frame
Unknown Artist
late 16th century
Medium
Pine
Dimensions
Overall: 17 1/4 × 17 1/8 in. (43.8 × 43.5 cm) Sight: 13 5/8 × 13 9/16 in. (34.6 × 34.5 cm) Rabbet: 14 3/8 × 14 9/16 in. (36.5 × 37 cm)
Classification
Frames
Culture
Spanish, Seville
Department
Robert Lehman Collection
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Robert Lehman Collection, 1975
Accession Number
1975.1.2367
Art Historical Context
This exquisite fragment of a cassetta, crafted in pine by an unknown artist in late 16th-century Seville,, offers a glimpse into the opulent framing traditions of Renaissance-era Europe. Cassetta frames, with their distinctive box-like structure featuring a flat outer edge and inner moldings, originated in Italy during the Renaissance and became popular across Europe for enclosing paintings, especially altarpieces and portraits. Measuring about 17 inches square overall, this pine example from Seville—then a thriving artistic hub in Andalusia—highlights the city's role as a center for woodworki...