展品专文
This pair of large mirrors is typical of Italian production in the late 17th and early 18th centuries, in terms of both materials and ornamentation. The use of blackened wood for the frame bears witness to the influence of craftsmen from Northern Europe, who were established in Rome and Florence during this period. They used ebony to make the frames for their pictures and mirrors, spreading a taste in Italy for dark frames, here enhanced with silver ornaments à la meca.
The designs can also be compared with those of the Roman ornamentalist Felippo Passarini (1638-1698), who in 1698 published a collection of motifs for furniture and objets d'art: Nuovi inventioni d'ornamenti d'architettura e d'intagli diversi. Known for the exuberance of his style, he frequently used thick interlacing, acanthus leaves and wide scrolls in his decorations (coll. V&A, inv. E.1519-1923).
The taste for this type of mirror continued in the eighteenth century, as shown by the model in the J. Paul Getty Museum in Los Angeles, dating from 1750-1770 (coll. J. Paul Getty Museum, inv. 97.DH.66). This mirror, this time with an ebony frame, is topped with an Apollo and features gold ornaments that radiate out from the sides of the frame. The similarities between the mirrors testify to the similarities in style between the Baroque and Rocaille styles.
The designs can also be compared with those of the Roman ornamentalist Felippo Passarini (1638-1698), who in 1698 published a collection of motifs for furniture and objets d'art: Nuovi inventioni d'ornamenti d'architettura e d'intagli diversi. Known for the exuberance of his style, he frequently used thick interlacing, acanthus leaves and wide scrolls in his decorations (coll. V&A, inv. E.1519-1923).
The taste for this type of mirror continued in the eighteenth century, as shown by the model in the J. Paul Getty Museum in Los Angeles, dating from 1750-1770 (coll. J. Paul Getty Museum, inv. 97.DH.66). This mirror, this time with an ebony frame, is topped with an Apollo and features gold ornaments that radiate out from the sides of the frame. The similarities between the mirrors testify to the similarities in style between the Baroque and Rocaille styles.