French passe-partout
A French passepartout is a hand-decorated passepartout , i.e. a hand-decorated frame made of cardboard for a work of art on paper ( drawing , graphic , etc.).
history
The forerunners and models for the hand-decorated French passe-partout have been various types of graphic mounts since the 16th century . At first they began to enclose graphics with ink lines and thus increase their value. Using glass for framing was initially unusual. The graphic / drawing was cut on the edge and glued on. They were kept exclusively in folders and drawers. When glass was finally used to protect the valuable graphics, the decorations were initially on the back of the glass, and later on a cardboard frame, the passe-partout .
In the 17th century, more color came into play and at the end of the 18th century borders and golden stripes were popular - elements that can be found in the design of French passe-partouts of the 19th century.
Today only a few original models can be found, as many passe-partouts were burned in the two world wars . In many museums, the old passe-partouts were also removed for reasons of space, as the loose graphics could supposedly be stored in folders or boxes to save space. In addition, some older passe-partouts are made of acidic cardboard, which can damage the work of art. However, the old passe-partouts themselves are remarkable as evidence of their time and can be an important source with regard to the history of collections and exhibitions.
General
The French passepartout uses and combines all the decorative elements that have been used since the beginnings of artistic picture framing in the 16th century to increase the value of an artistic work: black, colored and gold ( ink ) lines, watercolored pastel-colored stripes, gold and silver borders, colored and gold / silver painted cut edges, glued strips of marble paper , etc.
Only a few bookbinders master and practice the art of hand-decorating passe-partouts today . The practice of this craft requires not only great craftsmanship but also a sense of proportions and color harmony as well as art-historical knowledge.
