Picture frames began as painted borders in ancient art, evolving into carved wooden frames in medieval Europe before becoming the removable objects we know today.
The history of picture frames stretches back thousands of years, long before the carved and gilded objects we hang today. What started as painted decoration on ancient walls became a separate craft tradition by the Renaissance, and the frames on your walls carry that whole journey in their joints and finishes.
Early Beginnings: Painted Borders in the Ancient World
Ornamental borders around images have been used for roughly 4,000 years or more, appearing in ancient Egyptian and Greek wall paintings and pottery. These weren’t physical frames at all — they were painted boundaries that set artwork apart from its surroundings.
These ancient borders served the same purpose frames do today: they marked where the art ended and the world began. But they were part of the artwork itself, not separate objects.
How Did Carved Wooden Frames Emerge?
Carved wooden frames that look recognizably modern appeared in Europe during the 12th and 13th centuries, used on small panel paintings in churches. Before that, frames were largely integral — built into the structure of the artwork rather than added to it. The medieval shift to separate wooden frames began in religious settings, where free-standing and mobile frames developed in churches before the style spread to private homes.
The Renaissance marked the turning point. Artists and patrons began treating the frame as a distinct, removable element, separate from the painting itself. This opened the door for framing to become a major craft tradition, with guilds of framemakers producing increasingly elaborate work across Europe.
English Framing: Materials and Joinery Through the Centuries
The National Portrait Gallery’s framing guide notes that the story of the picture frame in England “really begins” in the 16th century. Early English frames were typically made of oak, which remained the common choice until the mid-17th century, when pine became more widespread. The guide also tracks a key joinery shift: lap joints dominated the early years, but by the early 18th century, the mitre joint had become universal — the angled corner joint still standard in framing today.
Finishes evolved alongside materials. From the 17th century onward, many frames were gilded with gold leaf or finished with silver and lacquer, using both oil gilt and water gilt techniques. Ornamentation also advanced: papier-mâché appeared in frame decoration during the 17th century, and by the 1790s, a material called compo — a moldable compound — became popular. It went on to dominate 19th-century framemaking, allowing intricate, repeatable decorative details.
Frame Types and What They Mean Today
Contemporary framing distinguishes several frame types, and the terminology reflects that long history. Integral frames are built into the artwork itself, the modern descendants of those ancient painted borders. Applied and engaged frames are attached directly to the canvas or panel. Rabbet frames — named for the recessed groove that holds the artwork — are the most common type in contemporary framing.
That rabbet design is the quiet legacy of centuries of craftsmanship. It’s the practical solution that lets you swap artwork in and out of the same frame, something medieval framemakers never imagined.
If you’re drawn to the warmth of vintage framing styles, our roundup of the best 1940s photo frame options is a great starting point for adding period character to your walls.
| Era | Framing Style | Key Material or Technique |
|---|---|---|
| Ancient Egypt & Greece | Painted borders on walls and pottery | Pigment; no physical frame |
| AD 50–70 | Early physical frame with portrait | Egyptian tomb find |
| 12th–13th century | Carved wooden frames on panel paintings | Wood, church settings |
| Renaissance | Frames as separate, removable objects | Carving and gilding emerge as crafts |
| 16th–17th century England | Oak frames; later pine | Lap joints |
| Early 18th century | Mitre joint becomes universal | Pine and gilding common |
| 17th–19th century | Gilt frames, papier-mâché, then compo | Oil gilt, water gilt, moldable ornament |
The history of picture frames is a story of gradual separation — from painted border to integral part of the artwork, then to fully removable object. The Art & Object framing history traces this craftsmanship in detail, showing how regional traditions and available materials shaped what we now take for granted. Because each region developed its own timeline — Egyptian antecedents differ from the European carved-wood emergence — the full picture is best understood as a set of parallel traditions that eventually converged into the standard frame we know today.
References & Sources
- Art & Object. “Framing History: A Study in the Craftsmanship of Picture Frames.” Traces frame origins from ancient borders through Renaissance craftsmanship.
- National Portrait Gallery. “The Art of the Picture Frame.” Details English framing materials, joinery, and chronology.
- Wikipedia. “Picture Frame.” Provides broad historical context and frame-type terminology.
