Canvas More Mirrors

Produced in France, in the late 1800’s, this Louis XV style trumeau mirror features an oil on canvas painting. The 15 ½ inch diameter circular painting depicts two cupids sitting on the ground, watching a dove land on a perch. A basket of red roses lays on the ground in front of them and an urn on a pedestal is behind them. The scene is surrounded by bead and spindle décor inside a ring of acanthus leaves. There is a floral margent that hangs down below, covering a small section of the central mirror. The mirror has been segmented by two long vertical fasces, or bundles of rods. The base of each rod is adorned with a flowered leaf, while the top transitions into branching foliate rinceaux. The rinceaux further segments the mirror and touches upon the bottom half of the canvas. A border consisting of a repeating motif of fruited husks runs along the edges of the mirror. Canted edges embellished with curled leaves grace the upper corners of the mirror, while the bottom corners are adorned with volute scrolled leaves. Thick and widely spaced gadrooning forms a border along the top that runs behind a sprawling crown. The crown is comprised of a scalloped leaf encircled by a floral wreath. Laurel leaves emanate from behind C-scrolls in a horizontal fashion, with an acanthus margent running between the two scrolls. Trumeau is an architectural term that was originally used to describe the space between a pair of doors or windows. Often designs called for this area to be decorated by a painted mural or sculpture. However, after the construction of The Hall of Mirrors at Versailles by Louis XIV, it became more common for floor-to-ceiling mirrors...

Very nice 19th century Louis XVI style giltwood trumeau. Tone on tone painting, very nicely done.