My last post was on the possibilities for especially sympathetic framing for block prints. Here’s another example of how a frame carved in the same manner that the block for the print was carved naturally harmonizes with the print. The early twentieth century picture of a glass of flowers is by Elisabeth Consentius (German, 1878-1936). The image is about 11″ x 11″. We set it in a 3″ wide solid core rag mat and a 1-1/4″ wide walnut frame finished with linseed oil and wax. The frame’s corners are carved with loosely rendered leaves inspired by those in the print. They’re simply raised, flat leaf shapes; no modeling. So again, should you ever, for some strange reason, want to make a print from the frame, you could. The important thing, though, is the way the frame echoes and honors the printmaker’s art.
I had fun letting the very tip of one unruly or maybe just especially energetic leaf (at the top right) transgress the sight edge of the frame and overlap the inner slip. That slip is mahogany, which, with oil on it, perfectly matches the reddish stems in the picture.
