[epilys]

First published in the Metropolitan Museum Journal, vol. 56, 2021, pp.160-73.

This study focuses on artist-designed frames at the end of the 19th century, many of which are preserved in the Havemeyer collection at the Metropolitan Museum, with a particular emphasis on a material known at the time as pâte coulante, unique in its ability to render extraordinary profiles, some of which could not have been realized by any other method available at the time. Although frames in pâte coulante can be seen surrounding the works of many late 19th century and early 20th century paintings, this study refers to the few superb examples available for study in the Metropolitan Museum and in private collections, which in many cases surround works by Edgar Degas. For artists like Degas, this method became crucial for executing radical frame designs. To reinforce the argument that the process of template-cut pâte coulante granted artists and framemakers the freedom to turn any design into a reliable and serviceable moulding, replicas of period mouldings were recreated using the available historic information, and the results gleaned from this technical study are included here.