Frames and supports in 15th and 16th-century Southern Netherlandish painting

117 A. Ancient measurements In the southern Netherlands, wood was measured during the period in question in feet, inches and (sometimes) lines. These units of length, however, varied from one city to another. Their complexity and their potential variation over time tell us to be careful when trying to interpret the dimensions of older works. 1 We have examined whether the dimensions of frames can be related to the local units of length (i.e. frames from Brussels being in multiples and simple fractions of the Brussels foot, those from Ghent of the Ghent foot). We have been unable to establish any clear inter- relationship. The joiners of the time likely used the boards at their disposal in a spirit of economy, without being constrained by local units of length. For guidance we give here the metric value (in centimetres) of some of the countless ancient feet. 2 Antwerp, Lier (= 11 inches = 121 lines) 28.68 Bruges (= 11 inches) 27.44 Brussels (= 11 inches = 88 lines) 27.57 Ghent (11 Paris inches) 29.77 Herentals (= 10 inches = 100 lines) 29.18 Liège, St Hubert’s foot for carpentry and masonry  (= 10 inches = 100 lines = 1000 points) (another foot, the St Lambert’s foot, was used to measure land) 29.47 Leuven (= 10 inches = 100 lines) 28.55 Mechelen (= 11 inches = 121 lines) 27.8 Nivelles, St Gertrude’s foot (= 10 inches = 100 lines) 27.7 Gdansk (12 inches) (35 Gdansk feet = 32 Rhenish feet) 28.69 Hungary (Austrian foot = 12 inches) 31.61 Paris (= 12 inches = 144 lines) 32.48 Reval (= 12 inches) 26.59 Rhenish foot, adopted in Prussia and in many other states of  Germany (= 12 inches, 144 lines) 31.38 Riga (= 12 inches) 27.41 CHAPTER VI LARGE WORKS. CURVED TRIPTYCHS. LENGTH OF THE BOARDS, WEIGHT OF THE WINGS AND ECONOMICS OF CUTTING CURVED SHAPES 1. Kula 1984, 106-109. 2. Doursther 1840, 402-418.