The Falls, Richmond, Yorkshire
(1903)

• Philip Wilson STEER

The frame is in the English rococo style, with swept and pierced edges, and is representative of the nineteenth-century manufacture of frames, which were entirely carved in timber in the eighteenth century. The frame is very close in form to the one illustrated in Mitchell and Roberts, A History of European Picture Frames, p. 64, illustration 46b, giving some credibility to the source of the style. In the manner of the frame it emulates it does not have a slip.¹   A very similar frame to this appears on Phillip Wilson Steer's Distant view of Richmond, Yorkshire, 1903, (405-4) which suggests the maker might also be Chapman.

Notes.

1 A number of carved eighteenth-century English rococo frames appear in the collection, on Thomas Gainsborough’s A seapiece, a calm (1840-4); Arthur Devis’ The Clavey family in their garden at Hampstead (E1-1976); Richard Wilson’s Llyn Peris and Dolbadarn Castle (2055-4); Edward Haytley’s The Brockman family at Beachborough (1246-5A and 1246-5B), and Sir Joshua Reynolds’ Lady Frances Finch (3356a-4).

The basic form of the frame is timber. The corners and centres, including the pierced sections, appear to be moulded in composition. The construction is not obvious but the deep cracking across the corners suggests these corners are not of solid timber. The ornaments on the back edge and sight edge are composition. The applied flowers and leaves are also from composition. The surface appears to have been reworked. The gesso layer is thick and fills the detail of the decoration. There is a brushed patina across the surface. The basic timber form is mitred at the corners. The working edge is formed by the addition of timber battens. Triangles of timber re-enforce the corners at the reverse.

The surface is not original and obscures the intended articulation of gilding.