Picture frame facts for kids

A picture frame around a painting by Hans Holbein

A picture frame is like a special border for a painting, drawing, or photograph. It helps show off the artwork and keeps it safe. Most frames are made from wood or metal, and many have a clear glass or plastic cover. You can hang them on a wall or stand them on a table. Sometimes, the frame itself is a beautiful piece of art!

What Are Picture Frames?

Picture frames are designed to hold and display different kinds of art. They can be simple or very fancy. Think of them as a window that helps you focus on the artwork inside. Frames also protect the art from dust, dirt, and accidental damage.

Why Do We Use Frames?

Frames do more than just hold a picture. They make the artwork look better and last longer.

• Protection: A frame keeps the edges of a painting or photo from getting bent or torn. The glass or plastic cover protects the surface from dust and fingerprints.
• Display: Frames help to separate the artwork from its surroundings. This makes the art stand out and draws your eye to it.
• Decoration: Frames can match the style of the artwork or the room it's in. A fancy frame can make a simple picture look more important.

Different Kinds of Frames

Picture frames come in many shapes, sizes, and styles.

• Materials: Frames are often made from wood, metal, or plastic. Wood frames can be carved, painted, or covered with gold leaf. Metal frames often look sleek and modern.
• Styles: Some frames are very simple, while others are highly decorated. You might see frames with carvings, patterns, or shiny finishes. Old frames from the Baroque period, for example, are known for being very ornate.
• Shapes: Most frames are rectangular, but you can also find round, oval, or even custom-shaped frames.

How Frames Are Made

Making a picture frame is a skilled craft. Frame makers, sometimes called framers, carefully cut and join pieces of wood or metal. They might use special tools to carve designs or apply decorative finishes. Many frames are still made by hand, especially the more detailed ones.

The Passe-Partout or Mat

Sometimes, you'll see a thick piece of cardboard between the picture and the frame. This is called a passe-partout or a mat. It serves two main purposes:

• It keeps the artwork from touching the glass, which can prevent damage over time.
• It provides an extra border around the picture, making it look larger and drawing more attention to the art itself.

Images for kids

• 

  Neo-Baroque frame of a 19th-century painting

• 

  View of a frame-maker's workshop, oil on canvas, circa 1900

• 

  The elaborate decoration on this frame may be made by adhering molded plaster pieces to the wood base

• 

  A passe-partout (or mat) can be put between the frame and picture. The passe-partout serves two purposes: first, to prevent the image from touching the glass, and second, to frame the image and enhance its visual appeal.

• 

  Round Second Empire frame

• 

  Italian Renaissance frame, The Annunciation Lucca c1500

• 

  Portrait of King Louis XIV in a gilded baroque frame.

• 

  A portrait photograph of a French soldier in uniform in a frame for domestic use, featuring reliefs of Field Marshal French and Marshal Joffre.

See also

In Spanish: Marco (mueble) para niños