The thin, timber strip framing on The second marriage became a default presentation of paintings in art schools in the 1960’s and 1970’s. Formed from thin rectangular sections of timber pinned through the tacking edges into the wooden stretchers and strainers on which the canvas is stretched, they serve to cover the tacks and staples used to secure canvases to stretchers and strainers. In the case of this work the corners are butted together rather than mitred.
In the 1980’s this work had a large L section frame built from hardwood and fitted around the thin wooden strip, to add rigidity to the assembly of three stretched canvasses.
In more recent times the reverse has been re-enforced with aluminium composite board which holds the three pieces firmly in plane, allowing the painting to be returned to display in the strip frame.