Mirrors
The Venetians enjoyed a long monopoly in the production of mirrors after perfecting experiments with metal-backed glass in the early 16th century. The original purpose of mirrors was purely practical and functional. In the 1600s, by combining candleholders and mirrors (girandoles) the light of the candle increased illumination.
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Cut & Etched MirrorsEtching was a popular method of decorating and obscuring flat glass panels and windows, a technique known as 'embossing' in the late 18th century. The object to be etched was immersed in the acid at an appropriate dilution for the desired depth of the cut. Parts of the object not to be decorated were covered with resist, a mixture of rosin and beeswax. When immersed, the acid attacks the exposed parts of the pattern, when complete the acid and the resist are removed to reveal the pattern.
Freestanding MirrorsFreestanding cheval and dressing table mirrors popular by the 1700s for use in bedrooms and dressing rooms were usually set in simple, sturdy wood frames. Eventually, mirror frames were developed with increasingly more elaborate decorations reaching a crescendo with the Rococo style.
Gilt Framed MirrorsOriginally designed for practical purposes, mirrors developed into ornate objects that emulated the current fashions. Looking-glass frames gave support to the fragile glass, but were produced using materials with delicate limitations.
Wall MirrorsCarved wood is the medium most commonly found in mirror frames. Composition frames-mix of wood ground with molded or carved gesso, or a mixture of both-were also popular and can be identified by right-angle cracks, which occurred when subjected to changes in humidity. This condition is generally acceptable.
