COPENHAGEN.- A forgotten chapter of art history is given new life in a new, major book from Statens Museum for Kunst. The first of its kind, the book offers an in-depth, colourful introduction to the history – in terms of art as well as of ideas – of the picture frame from medieval times to the present. The book is published to tie in with the current, critically acclaimed exhibition Frames. State of the Art at Statens Museum for Kunst.

Out of the shadows
The frame has always seemed fated to be appreciated for its function rather than for high visibility. This has consigned the frame to an existence on the peripheries of not just the paintings, but of art history itself. Now, Statens Museum for Kunst takes steps to remedy that situation with the anthology Frames. State of the Art, a book which sheds light on the many and varied styles, often picture-perfect, found within the world of picture frames. The book is an ideal companion to the museum’s current exhibition about the history of the picture frame, one that delves even deeper into what can only be termed an all-new area of study.

Without precedent
In Denmark, Frames. State of the Art is the first book ever to address the history, aesthetics, and technique of the picture frame. Even in an international context the book is remarkable. Featuring articles by various specialists, the book offers a kaleidoscopic analysis of the picture frame, providing perspectives from numerous angles, several of them all-new.

Book facts
Concept: Henrik Bjerre.
Introduction: Karsten Ohrt.
Essays by Mogens Bencard, Beate Knuth Federspiel, Jacob Thage, Carsten Thau, Jannie Henriette Linnemann, and Henrik Bjerre and texts by José Ortega y Gasset and Henrik Søndergaard.
The book also contains an extensive glossary of specialist terms.

248 pages, more than 250 colour illustrations.
Hardcover. Available in Danish and English editions.
ISBN 978-87-92023-11-7
Price: DKK 299,-. The book is available from the museum bookshop.