Gertrude Abercrombie
Untitled (Queen and Owl), 1954
Oil on canvas, 4 by 5 inches 
Illinois State Museum collection

How does Gertrude's choice of fancy gold frame add to the sense of theater? 

The characters are lined up, in costume, perhaps ready to read their lines. The characters in her paintings are often people in Gertrude's life. Her stage sets are usually very bare, giving few clues as to where the play is set. Gertrude never explained her use of symbols in her paintings.