Enormous Art Moderne period "verre eglomise" mirror, France c.1940.

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Enormous Art Moderne period "verre eglomise" mirror, France c.1940.

About the Item

An Art Moderne period "verre eglomise" mirror with the original reverse painting of enormous scale from France c.1940 mounted in a custom frame. This tremendous mirror was originally installed in the main salon of an apartment on the Left Bank in Paris where it, along with the modern furnishings, ushered in the era of modern luxury so esteemed by the French and no more so than the Parisians. The scale of the mirror and the subject matter is taken directly from the same aspects as those items of extraordinary skill and prestige from the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, the hand woven tapestries produced for the aristocracy in France by Aubusson and Gobelins. But instead of using individual threads the artist here has worked with another ancient technique known as "verre-eglomise" translated as reverse painting and gilding on mirror glass. Although it has been in use for centuries its decorative popularity was revived by a Frenchman, Jean-Baptiste Glomy, in the eighteenth century. The particular skill in this art lies in the artist being able to visualize what is painted on the reverse side of the glass reading as a fully comprehensible work of art when it is seen from the front. The scene depicted here is similar to those seen on the famous "verdure" tapestries that became popular in the second half of the seventeenth century as they incorporated landscaped within their foliate borders. The idyllic landscape presented here is framed by a pair of mature trees on the left and right each with a bower of multicoloured blossoms in the foreground. The pair of deer, are facing each other with one's head turned to the right alert for danger while his partner stretches forward to check the ground. Instead of filling in the rest of the background as a traditional tapestry would have been done, here the major expanse is left to take advantage of the mirror glass which appears to be a lovely grey sky. In each of the four corners there is a bold fleur-de-lys, the symbol of French royalty used for centuries. Along all four of the sides visually connecting the fleurs-de-lys is a double band of gold leaf, the same material used in the corners. This simple linear motif, repeated twice, gives weight without being oppressive or bulky to the overall scene. In the centre of the top border is a large scrolled flourish that serves to provide focus on the entire piece as well as set the tone of symmetry and balance. Please enlarge the additional photographs and look at the amazing detail utilized by the artist to achieve this highly stylized interpretation of an ancient art. The clever use of shading that gives the various elements a sense of depth is accomplished by using a narrow palette of colours in a very perceptive manner. Light and shadow, bold and distant, colour versus monochrome are all employed in a way designed to create the appearance of a three dimensional object. But the slight elongated quality to all of the disparate components is what gives the mirror its definite mid-1940's Art Moderne identity. Because the mirror was inset into a wall it was never free hanging. Therefore a custom frame was constructed out of slid oak with a cerused finish. This technique takes a white compound and spreads it across the entire piece of timber. Because the grain of oak moves from open and porous to a closed and tight section that will not accept any pigment a variation in the surface colour from pale to dark appears. There is also a change in profile from the section of the frame adjacent to the mirror to the flat edge that touches the wall where the mirror hangs. By choosing both a frame and a finish used during the Art Moderne period the entire piece possesses a amazing sense of presence. Again, please note the dimensions, almost eight feet wide by five feet high, to imagine the wonderfully dramatic impact this mirror will make when installed in a well designed interior.

Dimensions:
Height: 58.5 in (148.59 cm)Width: 92.75 in (235.59 cm)Depth: 3 in (7.62 cm)
Place of Origin:
France
Period:
1940-1949
Date of Manufacture:
c.1940
Condition:
Wear consistent with age and use.
Seller Location:
Houston, TX
Reference Number:
Seller: VLA6331stDibs: LU8668810026