So enduring was the reputation of architect and sculptor Jacopo Sansovino that in the late 19th century the term ‘Sansovino’ was coined to describe frames created in an elaborate, early-baroque style – more than three centuries after his death.
‘Frames in Focus: Sansovino Frames’ marks the first in a series of exhibitions at the National Gallery which will explore specific frame types; bringing together 30 exquisite examples of this distinctive style of frame associated with Venice and the Veneto.
With only two of the exhibits framing paintings, the exhibition demonstrates how frames – designed as removable items to enhance a painting only since the early 1500s – can be considered works of art in their own right, and can transform the way we look at paintings.
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