The frame is a late working of the themes developed by Whistler and those closely influenced by his approach to framing; in particular we might look to the frames used by Mortimer Menpes. It reflects the integration of a number of historic framing elements: the simplified form of Italian cassetta frames, the rich textures of ripple mouldings from Dutch and German frames of the seventeenth century and the materials and tonalities associated with nineteenth-century Aestheticism. The frame is a rare example in the collection. The maker is identified by a small paper label on the reverse.1