Framing a Georges Lacombe Print Around Your Own Decor
Custom framing is widely available, but Lacombe's palette and flat Nabi composition set real limits on what works. Here is how to choose without guessing.
Yes. Any seller offering made to order framing can produce a Georges Lacombe print in a frame you specify, typically in wood or aluminium with a mat or without, at prices from roughly $80 to $400 depending on size and material. Auvrique does not currently carry Lacombe editions, so the choice comes down to comparing framers directly.
What Custom Framing Actually Offers
A custom frame is not a bespoke product in the artisanal sense. It means you choose from a fixed catalogue of mouldings, mats and glazing options, and the framer assembles them to your print's exact dimensions. Most online print sellers offer this at checkout. Independent framers offer a wider catalogue and will frame a print you already own.
For a Lacombe print the practical choices are few and worth knowing in advance. Wood or metal moulding. Mat or no mat, and if a mat, white, off white or a colour pulled from the work. Glazing, either acrylic or glass. Each decision interacts with the painting itself, which is where most clashes happen.
Frames That Suit Lacombe's Work
Lacombe belonged to Les Nabis and painted the Breton coast and countryside in flattened forms and simplified colour. His landscapes lean into deep blues, greens and violet shadows, with a decorative quality closer to tapestry than to photographic landscape. A thin dark frame, black or dark walnut, lets that flatness hold. Heavy gilt baroque frames fight the composition and belong to a different century of taste.
A pale mat works well because it separates the print from the wall and gives the saturated blues room to breathe. A coloured mat is riskier. If you want one, pull it from a minor tone in the painting, never the dominant blue. Match the frame to the room, and the mat to the picture. Trying to do both with the same element is where clashes begin.
Rules that rarely fail
- Choose a narrow moulding, roughly half an inch to an inch wide, for his flattened landscapes
- Use an off white mat to lift deep blues and greens away from the wall
- Avoid ornate gilt frames, which contradict the Nabi decorative flatness
- Match the frame finish to furniture or trim already in the room
Costs and What to Check Before Ordering
Expect a small framed print, under about 16 by 20 inches, to run between $80 and $150 with a simple moulding and mat. Larger formats with acrylic glazing and hardwood mouldings climb toward $300 or $400. Canvas editions usually need no frame at all, which is part of their appeal. Ask for a digital preview before committing. Most reputable sellers generate one.
Two checks matter more than price. First, confirm the print dimensions are the printed image and not the paper, since mats and frames are cut to the outer sheet. Second, confirm the glazing is UV filtering if the wall gets direct sun, because pigment prints fade slowly but they do fade. Neither check costs anything. Both prevent the two most common disappointments.
Match the frame to the room and the mat to the picture. Confusing the two jobs is where most rooms go wrong.
| Option | Typical cost | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Online seller, made to order | $80 to $250 | Buying print and frame together in one order |
| Independent framer | $150 to $400 | Framing a print you already own, wider moulding choice |
| Ready made frame | $30 to $80 | Standard sizes and tighter budgets |
| Unframed canvas | $60 to $200 | A frameless look that skips the decision entirely |
Framing routes compared
Key takeaways
- Custom framing for a Lacombe print is widely available and typically costs between $80 and $400 depending on size and materials.
- Thin dark mouldings and off white mats suit the flattened Nabi composition better than ornate gilt frames.
- Ask for a digital preview and confirm whether listed dimensions refer to the image or the paper.
- Auvrique does not currently offer Lacombe editions, so compare framers on preview quality and glazing options.
Related questions
Should a Lacombe print be framed with or without a mat?
With one, in most cases. His landscapes use saturated blues and greens that read heavier without a border, and a pale mat gives the colour separation from the wall. A matless float frame can work on canvas textures, but on paper prints the mat is the safer and more conventional choice.
Can I match a frame to a specific paint colour in my room?
Yes, though rarely exactly. Framers work in finished mouldings, not custom paint, so you are matching to the nearest available tone. Bring a physical swatch to an independent framer or request moulding samples from an online seller. A neutral dark wood is usually closer to a painted wall colour than any dyed moulding will be.
Does custom framing add much to the total cost of a print?
Usually it doubles or triples the price of the print alone. A $60 print with a simple custom frame often lands near $150 all in. That is normal across the market, not a markup specific to one seller, and it reflects labour and materials rather than the artwork itself.
From the Auvrique collection
Made to order · Every size
Every size, every country, delivery included
Editions are made to order and shipped worldwide. Choose a format and a size, and the price you see is the price you pay.
View the collectionGeneral art-historical background drawn from public museum records and standard reference literature. Pricing reflects Auvrique editions and is indicative only.