Ten Commandments for the Proper Framing of Pictures

1. The width and pattern of the molding must bear relationship to the design and "weight" of the picture. A painting with simple, uncomplicated design calls for a plain molding; a much-detailed composition is best balanced by a rich design in the frame, with ornamentation called for.

2. A receding molding (one slanting toward the wall) or a rather flat profile will suit two-dimensional paintings best.

3. A concave molding (one slanting toward the painting) will enhance the feeling of perspective suggested by a composition in depth.

4. Strong, bold patterns demand powerful lines in the frame, to contain the composition.

5. A delicate, feathery, airy composition calls for the same "frivolous" feeling in the frame.

6. A linear composition calls for a repeat of this fine, lineal quality in the frame.

7. Inserts, or contrasting colors, will help to separate the ornamentation or pronounced color in a frame from those in the picture and will enhance the feeling of perspective.

8. Mats for watercolors and prints should be chosen to accentuate the significant colors. White is seldom ever right, because it tends to flatten the picture and darken it by contrast.

9. Only in the matter of glass protection do pastels and watercolors call for special treatment. A gouache can be as strong in color and pattern as any oil, and should be framed accordingly.

10. Key the colorings in frames to hues in the picture. A general guide is that warmly toned pictures (in which reds, browns and yellows predominate) are most appropriate in warm-toned frames; whereas cool colors (blues, greens, blue-blacks, whites) are likely to go best in frames that have silvery or similar cool tones