Framing in museums

Peter Schade | The Burlington Magazine | 1st November 2025

Artists have views about the type of frame that best suits an individual work. They often create with that frame in mind. Sadly, their preferences are frequently overridden. The Medici’s wanted uniform frames. French collectors chose frames to suit their interior decoration. Over many decades, London’s National Gallery has painstakingly re-framed about half its collection. Says the writer, “An appropriate frame is like a perfectly fitted dress or a well-tailored suit.”  Multiple images of frames are here.