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

CHAPTER II 50 C. Joining the elements of a frame A frame typically includes two vertical elements or “stiles” and two horizontal elements or “rails” . The top rail is not always straight. In some cases, it consists of several pieces of wood. The exterior appearance of the joints has played an important role – alongside that of its strength – in the evolution of joints. The cuts refer to the way the joints present themselves on the visible outside surfaces. We have a “square cut” (or “straight cut”) when the joint is cut at a right angle (fig. 18a). We have a “mitre cut” when the joint forms an angle of 45° (fig. 18b). When this angle is more or less 45%, we speak of a “false mitre cut” . A “mixed cut” combines a straight part and a mitre (or false mitre) part (fig. 18c). Fig. 18. a. Square cut. b. Mitre cut. a-b. Anonymous, Our Lady of Grace of Cambrai , second half 16th century ( PC , no. 2 ). c. Mixed cut. The partial mitre on the front allows the mouldings on the rail and on the stile to meet cleanly. Rogier van der Weyden (follower), Virgin and Child , second half 15th century ( PC , no. 1 ). We have observed 38 different joints, which we have classified into 6 families: mortise and tenon joints, dovetail joints, slotted joints (also known as bridle or open tenon or tongue and fork), lap joints, joints with inserts (spline or keyed joints), end-to-end joints. In the schematic representation of these assemblies we have omitted all grooves, rebates and moulding. Only rarely have joints been seen in their disassembled form. In most cases we could disassemble them only in our mind, which made representing them on paper a difficult task. Some joints occur frequently, others were observed only once. Their impact will be discussed in a later chapter. a b c