Elegant French Lines

French Lines are a splendid form of mount decoration, used especially on watercolours, prints and maps. They can be complex combinations of lines, panels and colours, or they can be much more simple, comprising two or three lines of a single colour.

Just a single line can add a traditional note to a framed artwork without being fussy or distracting.

Although mainly used on traditional pieces, French lines can be also used for contemporary work. A ruling pen can be loaded with a variety of painting media meaning colours can be subtle or strong, pale or vivid.

Lines around artwork have been used for centuries but the wash lines we know today were largely developed in the 19th century and include the use of coloured papers glued to the mount, gold tapes and coloured powders.

French lines embellish a mount, creating a frame within a frame, to balance the space and draw the eye to the picture.

When a mount is lacking in definition, due to its similarity to the artwork in colour and tone, lines can help to frame the artwork.

Visit us to view our full selection of mount samples with French Lines.