Little Books About Old Furniture. Volume II. The Period of Queen AnneBlake, J. P. (John Percy)
History
Little Books About Old Furniture. Volume II. The Period of Queen Anne
Blake, J. P. (John Percy)
Decoration and ornament -- Queen Anne style; Furniture -- England -- History -- 18th century; Furniture, Queen Anne
Fig. 10 is a mirror-frame of carved limewood by Grinling Gibbon to be
seen in the Victoria and Albert Museum. It is a rich and wonderful
example of chisel play, but, like his work in general, does not satisfy
a taste which inclines to less resplendent decoration. Such a mirror is
probably not within the reach of any collector, great or small; and it
is even probable--at least as regards the small collector--that, if by a
stroke of fortune such a piece descended to him, he would find that it
would scarcely harmonise with any ordinary scheme of decoration. Its
presence would be as embarrassing as the entertainment of Royalty in a
suburban home.
The ordinary types--and they are many--of Queen Anne mirrors can with
perfect propriety find places in almost any room in any house of taste,
and on the walls of hall or staircase they are at once interesting and
decorative. Particularly are they in harmony with the surroundings of a
"Queen Anne" bedroom. In this connection, however, a word of warning is
in place regarding the old glass. This is very well on the wall mirrors,
but in the mirror for the toilet-table it should be replaced by new
glass. Nothing lasts for ever, and it is rare that the old glasses fully
retain their reflecting powers. Old mirrors are bad to shave by, and
are, moreover, extremely unpopular with ladies. The art of furnishing
consists of a tactful combination of whatever is best in the old and the
new.
Figs. 11 and 12 are simple mirrors of the Queen Anne period. Fig. 11 is
a wall glass with a pleasing scroll outline, and Fig. 12 is a
toilet-table glass characteristic of the period, the gilt inner moulding
or "embroidery" being an interesting feature. We find similar decorative
devices to the above on many of the mirrors of this time, and such
examples should be purchasable at about two guineas each.
Figs. 13 and 14 are more elaborate and expensive mirrors, the broken
pediments in each case suggesting the influence of Sir Christopher Wren.
Although the architectural inspiration, which was absolute in the Gothic
periods and strong in the Elizabethan, was very much less marked in the
time of Queen Anne, still the classical influence of Wren's Renaissance
style is shown in many ways, and particularly in the many varieties of
the broken pediment which are favourite forms of decoration for the tops
of mirror frames. Fig. 13, in addition to the broken pediment, is
decorated on the frame with egg-and-tongue mouldings, and on the base
with a bust of a cherub in high relief. Fig. 14 is surmounted by a
boldly carved figure of an eagle enclosed by the broken pediment. On
either side are carved festoons of fruit and flowers, possibly suggested
by the work of Grinling Gibbon. These important mirrors, interesting and
effective as they are, require large rooms to set them off.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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