REGENCE GILDED WOOD MIRROR

French, circa 1720

Height, 72 inches (183 cm.) Width, 42 1/2 inches (108 cm.)

Mirrors like this one were the key element in establishing the style of an interior in 18th century France. Throughout the period trend-setters relied on the redecoration of rooms in the residences they inherited or purchased to announce their status and taste, rather than entering into new construction projects. The ideal was to reline a room with carved wood panels into which mirror glass was always inserted above the mantlepiece and sometimes in additional placements. If time or funds were not available for a full panelling, independent mirrors could be hung on walls covered with fabric. This expedient led to a proliferation of mirrors with carved frames expressing the stylistic evolution of the century.

Due to their weight and fragility, relatively few survived. Fortunately these are often the examples invested with the greatest artistry, for when the original mirror glass was, almost inevitably, broken, the mirrors were still valued for their elaborately carved frames.

This mirror, dating from early in the century, retains the stateliness of the Baroque era. At its crest, a plumed helmet over crossed flags and a shield provides a keystone. On either side a platform balanced on a leafy volute supports vertical columns of flowers providing a sense of perfect equilibrium. Even in a modern setting the generous gilded arch encompasses a mirrored expansion of the surrounding space and succeeds in its original purpose of endowing a room with amplitude and dignity.