Palatina-style Salvator Rosa frame
Unknown Artist
style early 18th century, made late 18th century (?)
Medium
Poplar
Dimensions
Overall: 21 5/8 × 17 11/16 in. (55 × 45 cm) Sight: 13 3/8 × 9 5/16 in. (34 × 23.7 cm) Rabbet: 14 1/16 × 10 1/16 in. (35.7 × 25.5 cm)
Classification
Frames
Culture
Southern Italian
Department
Robert Lehman Collection
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Robert Lehman Collection, 1975
Accession Number
1975.1.2135
Art Historical Context
This exquisite *Palatina-style Salvator Rosa frame* from Southern Italy exemplifies the ornate framing traditions of the Baroque era. Crafted in poplar wood—a lightweight, workable material favored for intricate carving—the frame draws inspiration from the dramatic, theatrical designs associated with 17th-century artist Salvator Rosa. Its "Palatina" designation likely nods to the opulent frames of the Palatine collections, evoking palazzi grandeur with bold moldings and scrolling motifs typical of early 18th-century aesthetics, though it may date to the late 1700s. Frames like this were far m...