The paintings at the Munch museum in Oslo are, with some exceptions, quietly and tastefully framed. The Munch paintings at the National Museum in Oslo are enthroned in fat, gaudy gold-leafed wall-boots. The National Museum should take a few cues from the Munch museum. And both should consider showing a few major paintings unframed.

Too many times plein-air landscape painters shoehorn their tiny postage-stamp paintings into loud frames, as though trying to make up for the art’s quiet whisper by assigning a gold-leafed barker to yell “STEP RIGHT UP, FIX YOUR EYES ON THIS QUIET ROADSIDE MEADOW AT DAWN WITH SHEEP AND SOMEONE’S OLD HONDA ACCORD.”

I get it: many plein-air artists haven’t spent a lifetime in the field, and many have never given much thought to context, or to what paintings are and do. Most are just working toward the next craft fair sale. But for the few who aren’t, it’d be nice if someone straightened them out on this. Good artists are making themselves look silly for no good reason.

Try that painting bareback on the wall first. Give people a chance to really see what you’ve done, without all the clanging noise of that chunky glittery frame you paid too much for. If you absolutely must put a frame on it, keep it simple and plain. Let the frame whisper, “Hey. There’s something to see here. Come on.”