From ‘Lady in Black’ to ‘Art Students’: The story behind changing a frame

AbstractThe original frame for the Phillips Fox painting the Art Students vanished in unknown circumstances many years ago. Since this time, the painting has been encased in a contemporary frame, which was historically and aesthetically unsuitable for the painting. In searching for an appropriate design for the frame of the Art Students, the frame on another painting by Philips Fox, Lady in Black, also in the collection of the Art Gallery of NSW, was closer examined. The painting, Lady in Black, would never again be exhibited due to irretrievable deterioration of the paint surface. However, the original frame, which surrounded Lady in Black, was in a much better state of preservation. The present paper tells the story behind adapting the frame from the painting Lady in Black to accommodate the Art Students. The ethical issues behind adapting a frame from one painting to another have to be treated seriously, as the frame has an enormous impact on the presentation of the artwork. In this particular case, ho...