French 18th Century Regence Frame

France was the artistic center of international culture in the 17th and 18th centuries and the Louis Styles of this “Golden Age of Frame Making” produced spectacular opulent frames of unmatched carving and gilding. In the 19th century, when these designs were recreated in revival designs, the ornamentation was cast in plaster and no longer hand-carved. Louis 13th and Louis 14th style continuous designs in particular paved the way for late 19th century Barbizon style cast frames.