Swept frame
Unknown Artist
mid-18th century (style French, ca. 1735)
Medium
Oak lower moldings and feather keys; lime upper moldings
Dimensions
Overall: 13 7/16 × 11 9/16 in. (34.2 × 29.3 cm) Sight: 8 9/16 × 6 11/16 in. (21.8 × 17 cm) Rabbet: 9 5/8 × 7 11/16 in. (24.5 × 19.5 cm)
Classification
Frames
Culture
Southern Germany
Department
Robert Lehman Collection
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Robert Lehman Collection, 1975
Accession Number
1975.1.2276
Art Historical Context
This swept frame, crafted in Southern Germany around 1735, exemplifies the elegant Rococo aesthetic that swept across Europe during the mid-eighteenth century. Although the maker remains unknown, the frame reflects the strong influence of French design on German artisans, blending ornate curves with refined proportions suited to small-scale paintings or works on paper. Such frames were essential companions to artworks, enhancing their visual impact while serving as status symbols in aristocratic and bourgeois interiors. The construction reveals sophisticated woodworking techniques of the peri...