A passion for architectural frames
Timothy Plaut collects frames from the 15th and 16th century. He describes how he got into this as follows: “I first came across architectural and Sansovino frames of the Italian Renaissance in the early 1990s, when I by chance saw an exhibition of unique Italian frames from the Robert Lehmann Collection at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. I found out about Mr. Lemke also by chance by reading a very good and knowledgeable article about him and his work in the Lufthansa inflight magazine. The visit I paid him in Berlin afterwards was a revelation.”
In Timothy Plaut, Olaf Lemke found a rare customer with passion for empty frames. Mr. Plaut combined it with his passion for architectural frames and began building his collection piece by piece. Lemke recalls: “He knew exactly what he was looking for: ‘Mr Lemke, I cannot afford 15th/16th century paintings, but I can afford the frames.’ This was the beginning of an intensive working relationship.”
In his Victorian house in London, Timothy Plaut has allocated a lot of space to frames. In the open, modern interior of the minimalist house, Renaissance meets contemporary purism. This contrast is emphasised by the frames with their antique shapes and colours, wood and patina, helping to create a warm and approachable atmosphere.