The Framers Forum

I have a couple of 19th. century paintings on wood panel. On one of these paintings the back of the board is painted black. It is not the first time I have run into this. Would there be a reason for this? My thoughts were to seal the back, or perhaps to hide something. To hide what I am not sure. Years back I sold a Laszlo Mednyanszky on panel that was painted black on the back.

I've framed a few modern panels which were 9mm MDF. All painted black on the back. They stayed flat while I had them.
Just as well really as some were valued at £10K+

This is the back of a Renaissance period painting. On Poplar wood I believe.
Not sealed at the back and someone has had to do a 'splint' in it the fix a crack.

Aside from the aesthetic appearance, the back of any painted panel needs to have a similar coating to balance the shrinking forces from the finishes on the front. This is especially so if gesso has been used and even varnish can have a strong effect.
Otherwise the panel will either split, as Prospero has pointed out, or bow out of shape.

Happens to the best of them.

I had figured that sealing the back had a purpose. Thanks for all the input.

Another question is board. I have a painting on 1/8" board which appears to be birch. Do not believe it is plywood as it doesn't appear laminated. At what period in time would such material be used?

Either Pear wood or possibly Maple.

Thank you. Was either wood used in the late 1800's?

Looked at another way, Pear wood would have been the choice for English provenance whereas Maple would be more readily available in America.

The panel is very thin at 1/8' . Most panels I am familiar with are 3/8" or thicker. Trying to date the panel.

Without seeing the board, I'm now guessing it is pear wood. It is a very close grain and stable wood which can be cut to thin and wide panels. As far as I know it was widely used in the 17th and 18th cent.
As to the date of your panel, the painting itself should provide more of a clue.

You used to see a lot of this stuff in auction houses at one time and the prices are often quite cheap. Generally trying to sell them on a any sort of profit, was a bit of a lost cause. I generally made my money out of buying old pictures for the frames instead. Restored old frames did at one time generate some useful sales, but not so much in these days. Making money buying and selling older items in the auctions is much harder than it once was. It is much more difficult to buy anything worth buying at a price, which leaves any profit in it these days. Being known as the town's picture framer also seems to put the price up, as soon as I show any interest in buying anything, from members of the public and results in the being no worthwhile profit it it for me. Believe it, or not there is a better profit in making older looking frames from scratch using modern materials and off cuts for me. Lion used to sell a range of wod pasta ornaments for making swept style frames. I do not think that they sold very well and eventually they dropped them from their catalogue, and eventually sold them off cheaper.

I bought a few boxes of them and still have some, but the markets for frames with ornamentation is not was as it was and perhaps it would have been better not to have bought them after all. Reasonably straight grain pine brushed with a bronze brush and nicely handfinished is still quite popular and in vogue and I can often get a nice bit of profit producing stuff like that. The nice thing about some pine mouldings tends to be that some are quite nice quality and at the right price to make decent money out of them. Also with a little bit of imagination, the off cuts and left over bits of pine moulding can often be turned into profitable frames and other items, which on a good day can create a bit of interest and some useful profit. Many of these items can tick over quite nicely at times, but you have to make it clear that you will not negociate on prices. I produce a reasonably useful range of deliberately older looking pine frames, pine framed mirrors, mirrors with little shelves and "rustic" frames as well and they seem to be popular year after year. They seem to sell mostly because they are unusual and they are not the sort of thing which you see sold elsewhere.

As always I am looking to be selling into the " niche market", which tends to mean sticking to your prices and if necessary letting customers walk away, rather that discounting your prices just to secure a sale. I also produce various small square frames (mostly to sell in pairs), a range of pine deep box frames, and some "rustic" frames, some antique looking frames,display cases frames and some display cabinets. it's just a general mix of interesting stuff which has a little something to hopefully interest many of these who are passing by. Almost all these items are produced from pine and have a lot of style about them. These are not sold as an alternative to ready made frames, which is often has the image of being too down market and therefore too cheap. I do have a separate range of reasonably priced ready made frames, which I can offer to those who want to spend less, but my nice products are not discounted at all. There is usually a bargain box of various frames that I have not previously suceeded in selling, usually customers who are willing to spend the time looking through my bargain box, don't just buy one item.

I often do a buy two and get a third one free, for my bargain box, but the free one is always the cheapest one. You often need a bit of strategy to persuade customers to decide to buy and it's not always as easy as it once was. Even the stuff in my bargain box box needs to look a bit special. Generally customers won't hang around to have good look unless, you can keep them interested and tempted. Once you have lost them, they are heading for the door and that's that!

Thanks Vintage framer and Not a framer. I have learned something. Thanks again.