Can Framing Increase the Value of Art?
Can framing increase the value of art? It’s a question we’re asked from time to time at Graham Harrison Framing Studio.
The answer, perhaps disappointingly, isn’t a simple yes.
A beautifully made frame can certainly enhance an artwork. The right frame can change how you see a piece, how it sits within a room and, in some cases, make it considerably more appealing to a potential buyer.
But does framing actually increase the monetary value of an artwork?
Not necessarily.
What good framing can do, however, is help protect the condition and value of your art.
And this is where choosing the right framing materials and techniques becomes much more important.
Can a Frame Make Artwork More Valuable?
There are occasions when a particularly appropriate, historic or valuable frame may contribute to the desirability of an artwork. But for most pictures, adding an expensive frame doesn’t automatically increase the value of the artwork itself.
A well-chosen bespoke frame can certainly improve presentation. It can complement the artwork, give it greater presence and make it more attractive to a potential buyer.
However, one of the most important roles of professional framing is less obvious: protecting the artwork inside the frame.
Can Poor Framing Damage Artwork?
Unfortunately, yes.
We regularly see pictures that have previously been framed using inappropriate materials or techniques.
Problems can include:
- Acidic window mounts and backing boards
- Artwork attached using unsuitable tapes or adhesives
- Non-reversible mounting methods
- Inappropriate backing materials
- Glazing sitting directly against the surface of an artwork
- Insufficient protection from UV light, moisture and environmental changes
Often, the artwork can look perfectly fine while it is still inside the frame.
It’s only when the frame is taken apart that the problems become apparent.
Staining, discolouration, foxing, fading and adhesive damage can all occur over time. Some damage may be treatable by a specialist paper or painting conservator, while other deterioration can be extremely difficult, if not impossible, to reverse.
For a £50 print, that’s frustrating.
For an original artwork, limited-edition print, valuable photograph or something with significant sentimental importance, it can be a much bigger problem.
What Is Conservation Framing?
Conservation framing is about protecting an artwork as well as presenting it beautifully.
Much of what we do in the workshop will never be seen once a picture is hanging on the wall.
Conservation-grade mounts and backing boards aren’t particularly exciting to look at. Neither are reversible hinging methods or the barriers used to prevent potentially harmful materials from coming into contact with the artwork.
But they are there for a reason.
Where appropriate, the aim is to use materials and methods that protect the work and ensure that anything we do to it today can be safely reversed in the future.
This is particularly important when framing original artworks, works on paper, photographs, limited editions and pieces with significant financial, historical or sentimental value.
How Does Conservation Framing Help Protect the Value of Art?
The condition of an artwork can have a significant bearing on its value.
That means the way a piece is framed should be considered part of its long-term care, rather than simply a decorative decision.
Different artworks require different approaches. A watercolour or drawing on paper, for example, has different framing requirements from an oil painting, canvas, photograph or textile.
Depending on the work, considerations can include:
- The mount and backing materials
- How the artwork is attached or hinged
- The type of glazing used
- UV protection
- Keeping glazing away from sensitive surfaces
- Providing suitable barriers between the artwork and other framing materials
- Ensuring mounting methods are reversible wherever possible
These are details you may never notice when looking at the finished frame, but they can make an enormous difference over the lifetime of an artwork.
Framing Valuable or Original Artwork
If you own an original artwork or a piece of particular financial or sentimental value, it’s worth discussing how the work will be framed rather than choosing a frame purely on appearance.
Ask what materials will come into contact with the artwork, how it will be mounted and whether the process can be reversed in the future.
The same applies if you’re an artist, gallery, collector or interior designer arranging framing on behalf of somebody else. Knowing exactly what is happening behind the frame can be every bit as important as choosing what it looks like from the front.
So, Does Framing Increase the Value of Art?
A good frame can make an artwork look considerably better, but it won’t necessarily increase the artwork’s financial value.
Good framing can, however, play an important role in preserving an artwork’s condition and protecting its value over time.
Poor framing can do exactly the opposite.
Using unsuitable materials or techniques can lead to fading, staining, discolouration and other forms of damage that may ultimately reduce the condition—and potentially the value—of the artwork.
So when choosing a frame, it’s worth thinking about more than the moulding you can see.
For my money, what’s behind the frame is every bit as important as what you can see from the front.
