Carlo Maratta Frame

Reproduction of a Carlo Maratta picture frame gilt on wood. This 18th-century model is available in any size. Therefore, you can fit it with any painting.

Carlo Maratta frame properties 

This reproduction is made with ayous and tulipwood combined together. We use ayous for the front side and tulipwood for the backside of the frame. As a result, we obtain the maximum strength with the minimum weight.

You can customize the rabbet width as you prefer, we usually make it wide 1 cm. If you need to cover a bigger part of the painting, you can ask to make it wider. The rabbet depth instead, depends on the thickness of the painting. In most of our models, it is at least 2 cm. You can always ask to have it deeper.

Section width cm 8
Rabbet cm 1

Carlo Maratta frame decorations

The surface of this reproduction frame is completely smooth. This kind of profile is very common within Roman antique-style frames of the 1700s. It is a frame that fits well with detailed landscapes where you don’t need a frame to be more important than the painting itself.

Click on the video below to see the procedure of carving the concave and convex molding of this profile frame.

Patina (aging process)

“Patina” is an Italian word that refers to the tone of the final gilding of the frame. Making an astonishing Patina is one of the major skills of the gilder in order to make seem this reproduction of a Carlo Maratta frame an original one. In other words, it concerns the process of aging the gold finishing, trying to distress as much as possible the reproduction frame without exaggerating too much.

To complete the procedure, gilders use some different kinds of stones to hit the frame, creating some fake tiny broken parts all around the sides. Besides, gilders create fake wormholes to age the gilding and you will be able to see them analyzing deeply the picture detail attached above.

Another important part of the patina is gently rubbing off the gold surface with steel wool, trying to make the typical antique abrasions that you see in antique picture frames. In conclusion, any damaged little part of the frame is just a part of a bigger plan to age this typical Carlo Maratta frame reproduction.

Videos related to the aging process 

Explanation of the aging process
Distressing the gold surface
Rub off the gilding
Dark shellac
Applying shellac
Final result

CHEAPER CARLO MARATTA FRAME

See below a similar frame with identical structure but at a lower price.