[1] An invoice from the Office of the Agent-General for Victoria, dated 10th January, 1873, for Mr A. Smith, (late J. Green), for a frame 20 ft. 11 ins. x 12 ft. 1 in identifies the frame maker.
One frame 20ft 11” by 12ft 1” carved 13” moulding prepared & gilt throughout in Dead & Burnish gold. Richly ornamented screwed & Bolted together with wedge folding stretcher of Best quality pine. £ 30,0,0,
One packing case of 2nd Quality Pine. This lined Double Cased. …… & …… dovetailed Inside measurement 14ft 4 – 3ft 6 – 2 ft Deep £5,17, 0 .
Remarkably the account for this frame gives a cost in 1873 of £30.0.0., including the stretcher for the painting. The frame is essentially classical revival in style but very large in scale.
The frame is made in six sections. Two complete sections form either end while the top and bottom horizontal sections are joined in the centre with metal plates screwed into recesses in the rebate and back edge with additional plates across the back. The mitred corners are held with tie bolts fitted into captured nuts. The frame is massive in section and made to break down into components for travel from London to Melbourne.[1]
The frame sections are profiled laminated wood with applied composition ornament. The torus is of imbricated laurel and berry, cast in composition and wrapped around a wooden core. The scotia ornament is of repeating anthemion and palmettes. The back edge ornament is ribbon and stick. The gilding varies from matt, oil and water gilding, to burnished water gilding on grey/black bole. The gilding on the greater part of the frame is matt on either a water or oil base but there is clever use of burnishing to highlight the berries on the torus, three of the leaves in each anthemion on the scotia, the bells and berries on the flat and the adjacent astragal. This articulation of the gilding is noted in the invoice as Dead & Burnish gold.