Portfolio to Collector

A long with the evolution of drawing as a fine art, collectors and artists also developed a rich heritage in the presentation of these works. The earliest collections of drawings were bound in portfolios such as the Codex Resta or Vasari’s legendary collection, the “Libro de’ Disegni,” with its magnificently drawn architectural frames on each page. In time, these collections were broken up and scattered throughout Europe as individual works. In the eighteenth century, a market developed for them and dealers and collectors began to frame and hang drawings on a wall.

The Academy of Classical Design recently completed a course in frame making and the display of drawings. The drawings themselves are compositional copies after master works using original materials such as quill pens and walnut ink. These carefully worked copies were then placed in a traditional French mat with gold leaf borders hand made by each student. The picture frames were custom milled based on a classic Florentine design. Students finished the frames using the demanding technique of water gilding a gold leaf finish over a traditional base of gesso and bole, burnishing and adjusting the finish to the requirements of each individual work.