When designing a frame, I ask myself, what is this picture about? I mean in terms of artistic elements such as color, form, line, and pattern that the frame can honor and enhance. With this 1940 woodblock print, “Chagrin D’Amour: Kusai, Est Carolines,” (15-1/2″ x 11-3/4″) by Paul Jacoulet (1896-1960), I could have gone with color. But its incredibly delicate lines are what captivated me.
I’ve enjoyed shaping the inside edge of frames and accenting that shape with a slender 1/8″ slip (like on this Utagawa Kunisada print), and thought I’d try that technique with this piece. I homed in on the boldest line and what it’s doing: the woman’s black hair framing her face. The lines of the frame then started to come to me. The fact that the artist was French had something to do with it. Those lines are very French, n’est-ce pas? The frame profile is flat, its narrow sections 3/4″ wide. Oiled walnut is a perfect neutral foil to the color, and is the color of the woman’s face but in a darker shade. The slip is also walnut, but stained black, of course.
Paul Jacoulet’s outstanding artwork and extraordinary personal story are well worth exploring. You might start here.
Many more examples of how we frame Japanese prints may be found in our Portfolio.
