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Lot Essay
This verre églomisé mirror typifies the refined artistry that defined the technique of reverse-painted and gilded glass in early 18th century France. Richly carved and engraved with grotesque and arabesque decorative motifs derived from the oeuvre of the ornémaniste Jean Bérain, the mirror is a rare survivor of a highly technical and costly production.
Practiced since Antiquity, the technique of eglomisé consists of sandwiching a sheet of gold or silver between two panes of glass, which would then be scratched with a dry point to draw the desired pattern before being covered with colored varnish. The fashion for eglomisé mirrors, showcasing both craftsmanship and financial prestige, saw a revival in France in the early 18th century, predating the later fashion for European lacquer.
Jean-Baptiste Glomy (1711–1786), a print merchant, draftsman, and engraver, is credited with the eglomisé glass revival, which he widely employed and eventually gave his name to. These mirrors, with their highly complicated technique that required the collaboration and skill of several craftsman and engravers, were very costly and fragile, and thus it appears only a few were ever made. Seldom survive today, making this present example a rare jewel of the meticulous and fleeting fashion for eglomisé mirrors.
These mirrors came in three colours: blue, black and red. Known examples include:
One example of a blue background was sold by Sotheby’s, Monaco, 13 February 1983, lot 430. A further example can be found in the Royal Collection at Windsor.
A mirror with a black background featuring the pediment with the metamorphosis of Daphne, was sold; Vendôme, Rouillac Auction, 31 December 1988, lot 42.
Those sporting red backgrounds, include that from the René Weiller collection, sold Sotheby’s Monaco, 15 June 1996, lot 129. A large example is held in the collections of Count Duchâtel, at the Château de Serrant.
A third is in the Musée des Arts Décoratifs in Paris, (illustrated in S. Roche, Mirrors, Paris, 1985, p. 45.)
Finally, a mirror classified as a historical monument was recently presented at the Paris market (Marc-Arthur Kohn, September 15, 2012, lot 98).
On each of these mirrors, we find grotesque decorations taken from the ornamental books of Jean Bérain published in 1690. This design, paired with the brilliance of colour made the mirrors the perfect counterpart to Boulle's signature marquetry, the mirrors often displayed in tandem with the French master's designs. Indeed, the present example appears to clearly have been commissioned with the contemporary maker in mind, the extremely luxurious pediment which features the highly ambitious scene of three women, one being crowned by the other, the third presenting a cup, shows the skill of the engraver - the design requiring a steady hand, the elaboration matching the ornate detailings of Boulle furniture. Indeed, dynamic and shimmering this mirror reflect the fantasy of 18th century decorative arts, championing the ornate and technically superior makers of the time.
Practiced since Antiquity, the technique of eglomisé consists of sandwiching a sheet of gold or silver between two panes of glass, which would then be scratched with a dry point to draw the desired pattern before being covered with colored varnish. The fashion for eglomisé mirrors, showcasing both craftsmanship and financial prestige, saw a revival in France in the early 18th century, predating the later fashion for European lacquer.
Jean-Baptiste Glomy (1711–1786), a print merchant, draftsman, and engraver, is credited with the eglomisé glass revival, which he widely employed and eventually gave his name to. These mirrors, with their highly complicated technique that required the collaboration and skill of several craftsman and engravers, were very costly and fragile, and thus it appears only a few were ever made. Seldom survive today, making this present example a rare jewel of the meticulous and fleeting fashion for eglomisé mirrors.
These mirrors came in three colours: blue, black and red. Known examples include:
One example of a blue background was sold by Sotheby’s, Monaco, 13 February 1983, lot 430. A further example can be found in the Royal Collection at Windsor.
A mirror with a black background featuring the pediment with the metamorphosis of Daphne, was sold; Vendôme, Rouillac Auction, 31 December 1988, lot 42.
Those sporting red backgrounds, include that from the René Weiller collection, sold Sotheby’s Monaco, 15 June 1996, lot 129. A large example is held in the collections of Count Duchâtel, at the Château de Serrant.
A third is in the Musée des Arts Décoratifs in Paris, (illustrated in S. Roche, Mirrors, Paris, 1985, p. 45.)
Finally, a mirror classified as a historical monument was recently presented at the Paris market (Marc-Arthur Kohn, September 15, 2012, lot 98).
On each of these mirrors, we find grotesque decorations taken from the ornamental books of Jean Bérain published in 1690. This design, paired with the brilliance of colour made the mirrors the perfect counterpart to Boulle's signature marquetry, the mirrors often displayed in tandem with the French master's designs. Indeed, the present example appears to clearly have been commissioned with the contemporary maker in mind, the extremely luxurious pediment which features the highly ambitious scene of three women, one being crowned by the other, the third presenting a cup, shows the skill of the engraver - the design requiring a steady hand, the elaboration matching the ornate detailings of Boulle furniture. Indeed, dynamic and shimmering this mirror reflect the fantasy of 18th century decorative arts, championing the ornate and technically superior makers of the time.