Antique Pennsylvania Country Federal Two-Part Hall Mirror With Reverse Painted Églomisé Panel, Circa 1820s

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Antique Pennsylvania Country Federal Two-Part Hall Mirror with Reverse Painted Églomisé Panel, Circa 1820s

A charming and thoroughly appealing example … Read more Antique Pennsylvania Country Federal Two-Part Hall Mirror with Reverse Painted Églomisé Panel, Circa 1820s

A charming and thoroughly appealing example of early 19th-century Pennsylvania country Federal decorative arts, this delightful two-part hall mirror combines the elegant architectural vocabulary of the Federal period with the warmth and individuality of country craftsmanship to produce a piece of considerable character and decorative appeal. Small in scale but large in personality, this is precisely the kind of authentic American Federal mirror that looks absolutely perfect above a period chest, in a narrow entry hall, or as a focal point in any room that appreciates the genuine beauty of early American decorative objects.
The mirror's most captivating feature is its original reverse painted églomisé panel — a romantic farmhouse scene flanked by trees on each side, painted with the naive charm and quiet confidence of a skilled country decorator working in the best Pennsylvania folk tradition. Reverse painted églomisé panels of this quality and subject matter are among the most appealing and collectible elements of American Federal mirror design, and the survival of the original panel in intact condition is a genuinely significant and increasingly rare occurrence. The farmhouse subject matter — deeply rooted in the Pennsylvania agricultural landscape — gives the piece a strong and specific regional identity that collectors of Pennsylvania country antiques will immediately appreciate and respond to.
The architectural framework is handsomely conceived, with a cove moulded cornice presiding over the composition with quiet authority and half turned reeded columns flanking the mirror glass with a refined Federal elegance. The original red painted surface survives beneath a later shellac coating — itself now a historic finish of considerable age — while the original sawn pine backboards complete the picture of a piece that has passed through its nearly 200 years with remarkable integrity and authenticity. The mirror glass is most likely a period replacement, honestly noted, and does nothing to diminish the piece's considerable decorative and historical appeal.
A genuinely sweet and characterful piece of Pennsylvania country Federal decorative art at a very accessible price point.
Dimensions: 13.75"W × 21.5"H × 3"D
Material: Pine; original red paint beneath shellac; original sawn pine backboards
Details: Reverse painted églomisé farmhouse panel, cove moulded cornice, half turned reeded columns
Origin: Pennsylvania, Circa 1820s
Condition: Original reverse painted panel intact; shellac over original red paint; original backboards; mirror glass likely a period replacement See less