J M Turner

[vintage frames]

This is a screen-shot from an Instagram post about an exhibition of Turner's art, being held in Munich.
The painting is a small watercolour and is being exhibited alongside several of the artist's larger oil paintings. I would imagine that this might be a 'loan' exhibition from Tate Britain in London.

What I thought was interesting was the unusual layout of the mount. If I had been presented with that art work and asked to mount it behind a window mount, I would have instinctively thought along the lines of wide mount with equal top and sides, and maybe a bit more on the bottom,
This has taken a different approach.
Can anyone say what design device the framer was thinking about to present the painting like so?

I have no criticism of the work at all, and in fact the layout does seem to bring the painting to a higher level of presentation.

[JKX]

I think it's probably to standardise the frame size of a set of different sized images, something I was often asked to do. I found a youtube vid of the exhibition - at 6:06 you can see that's probably the case.




..

[vintage frames]

Thanks, John, for pointing out the YouTube video.
I understand your point about standardising the frame sizes to accommodate different art works, but I'm not sure if that was what was happening in the example I've shown,
In the video, at 6.15m in, they show a set of three frames displayed on a slope, each a different size but only the first outside the usual proportions.
I can see there where the curator might have been making some sort of visual statement but on the example, I've shown, the frame seems to be hanging in isolation.
What I find interesting is that it doesn't seem - wrong.
Then again, if I suggested that to a customer, would they have recoiled in horror at the idea?

[JKX]

I can't think of another reason bar part of a set/exhibition, not that I'd be happy with anyway; although I also agree it doesn't look wrong, but it could look more right!

[pramsay13]

As John says could be to standardise a set although the set has since been separated.
Another possibility is that the frame is a standard size and the mount was cut afterwards to fit the frame rather than the frame being made to fit the mount.
Before I read your question I noticed the mount edges were different proportions and it bothered me, although not all customers are as observant.

[vintage frames]

Good point but looking at the frame, I doubt it had any value relative to the cost of framing the original.
It's obviously some sort of design device that museums and curators are well used to using. I've seen it before but never remarked on it.
I'm just curious if any knows the thinking behind it.
The more I look at it, the more I like it!
One other point - the exhibition is a discussion on Turner's landscapes. Maybe the layout was selected to be in context with the other landscape orientated paintings?