Sansovino-style frame
Unknown Artist
ca. 1570, adapted ca. 1960
Medium
Pine back frame with lime upper moldings. Gilt; dark red-brown bole, blue background.
Dimensions
Overall: 59 1/16 × 46 1/16 in. (150 × 117 cm) Sight: 40 15/16 × 29 3/16 in. (104 × 74.2 cm) Rabbet: 42 1/2 × 30 13/16 in. (108 × 78.2 cm)
Classification
Frames
Culture
Venetian
Department
Robert Lehman Collection
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Robert Lehman Collection, 1975
Accession Number
1975.1.1846
Art Historical Context
This exquisite Sansovino-style frame originating from Venice around 1570, exemplifies the grandeur of late Renaissance ornamentation. Named after the influential sculptor Andrea Sansovino, whose architectural motifs inspired such designs, it features intricate moldings that evoke the lavish palaces and churches of the Venetian Republic. Crafted during a golden age of artistic patronage, frames like this were not mere supports but integral to the artwork, enhancing paintings with architectural depth and symbolic splendor. Made from a pine back frame topped with lime moldings, it boasts masterf...