Hand-painted friezes and door panels at the Art Palace in Tbilisi

The frieze, in classical architecture, is the space between the architrave and cornice in a room. The frieze was popular in the Victorian period (mid to late 19th century), during the reign of Queen Victoria (1837-1901) in England.

The high ceilings (about 9 feet, or 2.7 metres) were decorated with a line of colour and design – usually about 9-18 inches (23-45 centimetres) wide. It was introduced for two main reasons: (1) to divide the wall to balance its proportions, and (2) to bring the eye down from the ceiling – particularly for rooms that did not have ceiling frescos, paintings, or elaborate chandeliers and light fittings.

The area of decoration (the band – or frieze) was hand-painted, stencilled, plastered, and later wall-papered. If there was a picture railing, often the band of decoration would be above the railing. With lower ceilings the trend for friezes diminished. Sometimes the frieze was lowered considerably to below eye height.

Painting interior door panels was time-consuming and expensive, and thus rarely used in people’s homes – but they would often be seen in stately homes and palaces.

The Art Palace in Tbilisi, Georgia, an art gallery and museum for Georgian theatre, music, cinema, and photography, thankfully, continues the practice of hand-painted freizes and door panels.

In addition, if you look to the ceiling, the artwork is quite impressive.

MARTINA NICOLLS is an international aid and development consultant, and the author of:- The Shortness of Life: A Mongolian Lament (2015), Liberia’s Deadest Ends (2012), Bardot’s Comet (2011), Kashmir on a Knife-Edge (2010) and The Sudan Curse (2009).

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