Admiral Russell's Frame

An image of Frame. Unknown Makers. Carved and gilded lime wood with central mirror plate, height 182 cm, width 129.5 cm, depth 13.5cm, circa 1690s. English. Notes: The frame was commissioned by Admiral Edward Russell (1653-1727), the celebrated naval hero. Almost certainly made between 1693 and 1697 to honour Russell’s achievements and to celebrate his appointment as Admiral of the Fleet and First Lord of the Admiralty. The frame is decorated with symbols representing eternal glory. A personification of Fame with two trumpets flies beneath the mirror, which is flanked by two ancient gods: Mercury representing trade, commerce and financial gain, and Hercules symbolising military strength and triumph. The carvers are unknown. They were probably Dutch or French Huguenots based at Deptford’s naval dockyard, more used to carving elaborate ship prows and interiors than decorative pieces for a country estate.

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Frame. Unknown Makers. Carved and gilded lime wood with central mirror plate, height 182 cm, width 129.5 cm, depth 13.5cm, circa 1690s. English. Notes: The frame was commissioned by Admiral Edward Russell (1653-1727), the celebrated naval hero. Almost certainly made between 1693 and 1697 to honour Russell’s achievements and to celebrate his appointment as Admiral of the Fleet and First Lord of the Admiralty. The frame is decorated with symbols representing eternal glory. A personification of Fame with two trumpets flies beneath the mirror, which is flanked by two ancient gods: Mercury representing trade, commerce and financial gain, and Hercules symbolising military strength and triumph. The carvers are unknown. They were probably Dutch or French Huguenots based at Deptford’s naval dockyard, more used to carving elaborate ship prows and interiors than decorative pieces for a country estate.

Image data

Accession Number: M.2-2017
Photograph copyright © The Fitzwilliam Museum, Cambridge.
Photographer name: Image Library
Image height: 1025 pixels
Image width: 744 pixels
Processed with: Adobe Photoshop Lightroom 5.4 (Windows)
Filesize: 629.89kB

Key words

17th Century carved Fame Fitz_AA frame framed gilded gilding glory gods Heracles Herakles Hercules limewood Mercury military mirror music musical instruments mythological mythology naval personification putti putto symbolic symbols trumpet trumpeter winged wings wood

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            The Fitzwilliam Museum (2025)
            "Admiral Russell's Frame"
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