Mentone
1888

• Tom ROBERTS

The original frame for Roberts Mentone (1888) (fig.1) (formerly Impression 1888) was found in the former Australian Painting store on the third floor of the St Kilda Rd building in 1984. It was returned to the painting in the preparation of the Golden Summers exhibition in 1985/86.
It is one of a small group of original ‘9x5’ frames in the collection. These are frames that are believed to have been made by the artists, more or less in situ, for an exhibition in 1889 (The 9 by 5 Impression Exhibition) of small scale paintings often painted on wooden cigar box lids that were about 5 inches by 9 inches in format.
The frames are cut from a single piece of Sequoia sempervirens – Californian redwood – with the bevelled sight edge shaped by hand with a chisel.
The bevel is painted with a bronze/gold paint. The surface of the timber appears to be untreated.
A number of the frames from the 1889 exhibition have surface decoration in the form of painting. Some are given an overall bronze/gold paint finish. Some are stained black. Some off-set the image/window from centre.
The return of Mentone, 1889 to this frame coincided with a program of reproduction frame building for the other 9x5 panels in the collection. Some of which have had a second version of a reproduction frame made, using old pieces of Californian redwood.

Californian redwood (Sequoia sempervirens), bronze paint.

good original condition