Did you know that Queen Elizabeth once received an elephant named "Jumbo" from the nation of Cameroon as a gift? You don't have to be that extravagant with your gifts to show appreciation. Instead you can use one of our new gift cards. We believe that it's always the right season for art at Frames and Stretchers. Memories should be preserved with high quality framing by artists who care. Before you start your holiday shopping read our history of gifting below to get some background on this age old tradition.
A collage of our new gift cards.
Arguably, gold, frankincense and myrrh are some of the most famous gifts in history. While we of course don't carry those specifically, we do have some frames in stock that will handle the job. This summer we framed a Cuban art piece using a gold frame .
A gold framed piece of Latin American artwork.
If you have a penchant for nature, the Hanging Gardens of Babylon was a gift of legendary proportions. Although historians aren't sure if it actually existed, the story behind it is certainly romantic. King Nebuchandnezzer II created the garden for his wife as a cure for her homesickness. We stretched and framed this lush garden canvas earlier this year.
A stretched canvas of a garden.
This colorful peacock painting we framed from Nepal is reminiscent of a famous gift that included live animals. Richard the Lionhearted once gave a whole flock of birds as a gift in the Middle Ages.
A peacock we framed this year at Frames and Stretchers.
When it comes to famous diamonds many people mention the Taylor-Burton diamond that Richard Burton bought for his then wife Elizabeth Taylor. The diamond was nearly 70 carats! However one of the biggest diamonds in history was the Orlov diamond which weighed in at 189 carats. This diamond was a gift to Catherine the Great from Count Grigory Grigorievich Orlov. His intent was to win her affections but she ended up choosing a different suitor over him regardless. That is the definition of tough love.
One of the largest diamonds in history: the Orlov diamond in a royal sceptre.
Elizabeth Taylor wearing the Burton-Taylor diamond.
In conclusion, diamonds are forever and so is our framing. We continue to specialize in archival framing to preserve your memories and art for a lifetime. Our gift cards are a thoughtful gift any time of the year and with the holidays upon us now is a great time to give.
Have an unstretched canvas? Our custom framers in New York and Miami explain the best ways to frame it without stretching — no studio visit required to learn how.
