Looking Glass

Looking glasses often feature neoclassical architectural motifs such as pilasters, capitals, acanthus leaves, dancing female figures, and projecting ornamental cornices. On this piece, the eagle, insignia, and flag—painted on the reverse side of the glass panel in a verre églomisé technique—suggest American origins, but similar looking glasses were produced in England and France for export to the American market. Frames for these looking glasses were typically made of pine, with the sculptural ornamentation either carved from soft wood or made in molds from composite materials then applied, gessoed, and gilded. The fine, crisp detailing of the composite capitals, the attenuated proportions of the columns, and the relatively small scale of the decorative balls beneath the breakfront cornice suggest a date of about 1810–15 for this looking glass.