Do not try to have your art framed at Quebracho on 421 Troutman…That is unless you are MoMA, Sotheby’s or if you own a Picasso. Marcello Quebracho is not just any framer. Together with his partners, he created and restored the frames of the most valuable masterpieces of the history. Yes, including Mona Lisa’s frame in Louvre.
“It’s not that I don’t like art that people sometimes bring in,” Marcello says with a charismatic smile in his little office. “It’s just not what we do here…” Marcello Quebracho was born and raised in Argentina to an Italian family with a long tradition of framing. “Four generations of framers,” Marcello tells me. His classical education in restoration of wood and his PhD in ornaments obtained in Florence, Italy, likely makes Quebracho the only framing company of its kind.
“I personally do the research on how the frame should look, what materials were used in that particular period, identify the reasoning and the religious customs,” Marcello explains his role at Quebracho. “We make each frame from scratch here. That makes us very different from other companies in the country,” Marcello continues explaining the process. “Each frame begins as a piece of wood here.”
Even though, they are framing extremely valuable art in Bushwick, they don’t store the art in the building. The institution holds and maintains the pieces.
Quebracho relocated to Bushwick from Glendale. “We were looking for an opportunity to buy a building instead of renting. Also we wanted to be in a more artistic place,” said Marcello who, as you can imagine, deeply admires art. “We were looking at Williamsburg but that was impossible,” he continued.
It took Quebracho almost a year to finish repairs on their building located only steps away from Bushwick Five Points, but in our opinion it was well worth it. Entering the building feels like entering a different world. The building is peaceful, beautiful and spacious; rays of light touche the layers of real gold on frames stacked on shelves, while Quebracho employees perform complicated tasks that require enormous levels of craftsmanship.
All of the Quebracho employees are brought in from Latin America. “You cannot find a worker in the United States who reaches the same level of craftsmanship,” said Marcello. “All of them are legal,” Marcello explained that it is very easy to obtain working papers for foreign workers if similar workers cannot be found in the United States.
Having a gem of business like Quebracho in Bushwick is almost unbelievable. It was an honor to meet and talk to Marcello Quebracho who has dressed the most famous paintings of all time and who everyday leaves such a legacy…
