Mid Century Modern Plate Frame
I received Maxwell Bates’ John the Baptist and King Herod (oil on canvas board, signed and dated 1975) from a client and was immediately convinced that a modern plate frame from the 1950’s was the way to frame this abstracted figure painting. The colour in the painting has minor aging showing; the whites are not as crisp as they once were, the blues and pinks seem slightly faded. By enveloping the painting in a rigid architectural foundation frame and allowing the matte white of the gesso to be the final finish the painting looks at once refreshed while retaining its historical appearance.
