Overmantel mirror
Overmantel mirror. Ebonised and gilt wood frame with gesso details and three panes of mirror glass. Central square section with circular convex mirror surrounded by a fluted sunburst motif. Flanked on either side by two rectangular mirrors. The rectangular frame with a gilt ionic pillar with acanthus leaves at either end and a row of gilt gesso balls just below the projecting top of the frame. Some gilding is historic, while other sections have been painted gold more recently.
Overmantel mirror. Ebonised and gilt wood frame with gesso details and three panes of mirror glass. Central square section with circular convex mirror surrounded by a fluted sunburst motif. Flanked on either side by two rectangular mirrors. The rectangular frame with a gilt ionic pillar with acanthus leaves at either end and a row of gilt gesso balls just below the projecting top of the frame. Some gilding is historic, while other sections have been painted gold more recently.
History note: This mirror was owned by artist D. G. Rossetti, who most likely altered it. On his death, it was taken/acquired by his friend Charles Fairfax Murray and remained in his family. It was most recently in the collection of Murray’s grandson, David Elliott (d. 2020), who was also Farifax Murray's biographer. The mirror was given to the Museum by Elliott’s daughter, Croianna Bradshaw.
Given by Croianna Bradshaw
Depth: 12.8 cm
Height: 84.5 cm
Width: 150 cm
Method of acquisition: Given (2021) by Bradshaw, Croianna
It is likely that this was originally a water-gilt Georgian overmantel mirror with a large central square mirror glass, which was altered (most likely by Rossetti) and replaced with a convex mirror and ebonised to suit late-nineteeth century aesthetic tastes.
This mirror was formerly in the possession of artist Dante Gabriel Rossetti (1828–82) and can clearly be seen hung above the fire in Henry Treffry Dunn’s 1882 watercolour of Rossetti’s Green Dining Room (in the collection of the National Portrait Gallery). On Rossetti’s death, the mirror entered the collection of his great friend, Charles Fairfax Murray (1849–1919), one of the Fitzwilliam Museum’s most significant donors, and remained in Fairfax Murray’s family until it was given to the Museum.
Part composed of wood gesso mirror
Accession number: M.6-2021
Primary reference Number: 306970
Object entry form: 1551
Stable URI
Owner or interested party:
The Fitzwilliam Museum
Associated department:
Applied Arts
This record can be cited in the Harvard Bibliographic style using the text below:
The Fitzwilliam Museum (2024) "Overmantel mirror" Web page available at: https://collection.beta.fitz.ms/id/object/306970 Accessed: 2024-04-25 16:02:49
To cite this record on Wikipedia you can use this code snippet:
{{cite web|url=https://collection.beta.fitz.ms/id/object/306970
|title=Overmantel mirror
|author=The Fitzwilliam Museum|accessdate=2024-04-25 16:02:49|publisher=The
University of Cambridge}}
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