18th Century Mirror with the Virgin Mary Fixed Under Glass
This rare and precious 18th-century piece is a mirror fixed under glass depicting the Virgin Mary.
She is in an attitude of adoration, draped in a blue mantle, a color traditionally associated with purity, heavenly royalty, and the Immaculate Conception. She is depicted crushing a serpent, a symbol of evil, original sin, and Satan, in accordance with the biblical prophecy: “It shall bruise your head, and you shall bite its heel” (Genesis 3:15).
In the upper part of the mirror, the image of the radiant and flaming Sacred Heart, surrounded by an angelic choir, reinforces the mystical character. The Sacred Heart symbolizes Christ’s infinite love for humanity.
Painting fixed under glass is a unique technique because the work is created on the back of the glass. While on a canvas, the composition is sketched in broad strokes, then flat areas of color are applied, gradually finishing with the details, in reverse glass painting, the procedure is reversed. Unlike the normal technique, which involves painting the details (the nose, eyes, flowers) before the background (the face, the landscape), the viewer must view the finished work on the unpainted side of the glass plate. The glass painter begins with the finer points of the work and finishes with the background. Thus, down to the smallest detail, the painter must imagine from the outset the final version of the image to be created, knowing full well that they will also have to deal with a “mirror effect” when executing the image, since what is painted upside down on the right is actually right side up on the left.
Dimensions:
59 cm x 42 cm
France, 18th century
