With increased commerce, the Mediterranean stylistic forms were soon absorbed into the Netherlandish vocabulary, but with an entirely different view. As in the case of Southern Europe, the earliest Dutch picture frame designs were crafted for sacred use, as altarpieces. However, the Dutch favored an alternative aesthetic-to glorify the humility of Christ with restraint, over what was considered the Mediterranean tendency toward bravado. The skilled woodcarvers, building upon established Italian architrave and cassetta structures, expressed their aesthetic fashioned from ebony veneer, pear and other indigenous woods. The result became a rich, understated innovation that fully expressed the prevalent religious ideology.

Political ties with Spain may have had an effect on the style and intricacy of Dutch frames in the 17th century. For the Dutch elite, the somber, unadorned panels soon gave way to carved inscriptions, a harbinger of future ripple ornamentation; which gave way to faux painting; which brought on gilding, a previously inconceivable notion. These Dutch, it seems, were no different than most other cultures. Their use of elaboration in their furnishings was in direct correlation to their growing prosperity. The governing ideology merely shifted to accommodate new opinions.

The 17th century in Holland also witnessed a robust expansion of the middle class. Unable to afford extravagance on the scale of the gentry, the bourgeoisie still demanded symbols of their new wealth. Their quasi-affluence forced them to restore a properly reverential presentation, but still enabled the development of such ornamental accents as basket weave and the continuous ripple or wave, all from carved and stained (or ebonized) wood. These frames rely upon the silky sheen of the wood to act as a foil for the painting, each shape catching and reflecting light much like a faceted gem. During this period, bolection, or reverse profiles came into vogue--a Baroque borrowing. These ''middle class'' frames were widely produced and remain as the signature Dutch picture framing style. The carved and gilded frames emerging in the mid-17th century appeared in three varieties: the Auricular, the Lutma and the trophy frame. These luxurious frames are sumptuous expressions of Dutch Mannerism and of the skills of native wood sculptors. These frames were no longer subordinate to the art within; they became the primary focal object, often rendering the art insignificant.

Apart from isolated cases, Dutch and Belgian frames up to the late 1800's have little originality and most often are hybrids of prevalent French-based manifestations. In the 1860's the artist Gustav Klimt contributed to the rise of Symbolism with his affinity for frames with a planar body and ornamental reference to Art Nouveau conventions. 11-3/4" wide Dutch. Extended corner to both outside and interior area. Series of ripples, plain panels, combings and basketweaves.