It's true that Mona isn't in a typical floater frame, but if you look at the right side of the painting, you will see that the frame doesn't actually sit on the artwork. The painting is surrounded by an inner frame that allows the whole painting to show without overlapping the edge. That's the idea behind a floater. A more contemporary treatment is shown below.

Of course, this floater could be capped with a gold leaf frame just like Mona's, but today floaters are often left "as is", a contemporary treatment for contemporary paintings.

Creative Framing is known for its floater frames. While floaters do have their limitations, they are well loved framing treatments that can be just the right "finish" for a contemporary painting. As you can see from the diagram above, they do not cover the edge of the painting but appear to "float" around the edge, hence the name. The painting is actually anchored to the back of the frame, either by its own stretcher, or by attaching a pine stretcher to a masonite, wood or canvas panel painting.

Creative Framing carries floater frames in the following styles. (Most of these styles are available in large and small sizes to allow for stretchers of different thicknesses.)

• SOLID OILED CHERRY

• SOLID OILED WALNUT

• SOLID POPLAR

• SOLID CLEAR MAPLE

• BASSWOOD

• WHITE WASHED WITH BLACK INTERIOR

• WALNUT STAIN WITH BLACK INTERIOR

• MAHOGANY STAIN WITH BLACK INTERIOR

• FRUITWOOD STAIN WITH BLACK INTERIOR

• ANTIQUE BROWN WITH GOLD FACE AND BLACK INTERIOR

• BLACK WITH GOLD FACE AND BLACK INTERIOR

• BLACK WITH SILVER FACE AND BLACK INTERIOR

• WALNUT WITH GOLD LEAF FACE AND BLACK INTERIOR

• BLACK WITH GOLD LEAF FACE AND BLACK INTERIOR

• SOLID WHITE

• CARVED FACE (GILT, SILVER OR WOOD-TONED) WITH BLACK SIDES

• WATER GILDED (WHITE OR YELLOW) FACE AND BLACK OR TAN SIDES

AND MANY MORE

updated 6-29-2009