CIRCA 1760-70

This Irish George III giltwood mirror is conceivably modelled on the work of the renowned carver and gilder, Thomas Johnson (d. 1778), who in 1761, and through subscription, published his One Hundred & Fifty New Designs (see plate 33). Johnson embraced the 'rustic’ style in his earlier periodicals, Twelve Gerandoles (1755) and Collection of Designs (1758) including a base for a table in the form of a tree (plate 40). Between 1753 and 1755, Johnson worked in Dublin where he produced decorative carving for interiors in addition to mirror and table frames. Although he was employed by a 'Mr. Partridge’, possibly William Partridge, a 'principal carver’ supplying frames to looking-glass shops, he brought three of his own apprentices and four journeymen from London suggesting he was intending to undertake independent work in Ireland. Johnson describes a Gothic chimneypiece he supplied to leading Dublin society figure, Lady Arabella Denny, which attracted the attention of her nephew, Lord Shelburne, who subsequently invited him to work for him either in Dublin or at his country seat, probably Bowood, Wiltshire. On an earlier visit to Dublin in 1746-48 Johnson had worked for a 'Mr. Houghton’, this was possibly John Houghton (d. 1761) of Duke Street, the leading Irish carver, described by Johnson in his biography as 'the best wood-carver, for basso-relievo figures, I ever saw before or since. I made great improvements from him, and his apprentices from me’. Johnson stated that he had received 'many advantageous offers’ although unfortunately he does not describe his work or commissions, and as no furniture bills in Johnson’s name have been identified, it is likely much of his finest work sold under another’s name (J. Simon, ‘Thomas Johnson’s “The Life of the Author”’, Furniture History, 2003, p. 6).
The mirror is closely related to a pier glass bearing the label of the Dublin maker John Booker (d. 1789), and illustrated in Irish Furniture, New Haven and London, 2007, plate 201. Booker placed an advertisement in both The Hibernian Journal and Saunder’s News-Letter and Daily Advertiser, 18-21 November 1774, which reads as follows: John Booker, Looking Glass-seller, Carver and Gilder, No. 6 Essex-bridge (who for some years past carried on business with his brother, the late Alderman Booker) begs leave to acquaint the nobility, gentry and the public in general, that he now has ready for sale an elegant assortment of looking glasses of the newest fashion; consisting of square and oval frames, carved and finished in the best burnished gold…’.
A related oval pier glass wreathed by vines bears the label of Booker, sold by the late Mrs B. W. van Moppes, in these Rooms, 11 November 1999, lot 167 (£4,600 including premium). The Booker family business is described in D. FitzGerald, 'A Family of Looking-glass merchants', Country Life, 28 January 1971, pp. 195-199. Three related oval pier glasses surrounded by fruiting vines are at Castletown, Co. Kildare, attributed to the Dublin carver Richard Cranfield (1713-1809) (Castletown, Guidebook, n.d., p. 10).