Framing Norman Rockwell

Those who appreciated my last post featuring a work by Robert Rauschenberg will no doubt enjoy today’s post as well. We had the privilege of framing these two original graphite drawings by the American illustrator Norman Rockwell (1895-1978). “Peter” is a portrait of the artist’s son. The drawing is 10″ x 8″; the outside of the frame is about 17″ x 13″. The woman (below) is the artist’s daughter-in-law. The paper is 16″ x 12″, and the outside of the frame is about 25″ x 21-1/2″.

Both frames are basically ogees—moldings that are “S”-shaped in section. Peter’s frame is our No. 518 at 1-5/16″ wide, and his future bride’s is No. 503 at 1-1/2″ wide. The ogee form, which follows the human form, is a go-to for framing highly rendered figures and portraits. The frames are in walnut with a black wash, and both have pale gold slips. Both drawings are framed with 8-ply rag mats.

I’m trying to cut back on my adjectives, and words simply fail in the face of these faces, but I can’t suppress “exquisite.”