Antique French Gesso Mirror 19th Century

Name: Antique French Bare Gesso Mirror C1860
Brand: Antique
SKU: SA1239314
Price: 790 GBP
Availability: InStock

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Cataloguer’s note

Written by Sellingantiques from the dealer’s photographs and listing

ObjectMirrors
Period19th century
StyleFrench Chateau
MaterialGesso, Wood, Glass
ColourCream
MotifsRocaille crest, Beaded trim, Arched top, Bare gesso finish
SizeH 139 cm (55 in) x W 97 cm (38 in)

This nineteenth-century French Louis Philippe mirror is made of wood and glass with a cream and reddish clay bare gesso finish. The arched top frame has a carved shell and floral rocaille crest, a beaded trim, and traces of an etched pattern. Originally gilt, the surface shows hints of gold leaf and red bole preparation layer beneath the worn off-white gesso. The frame holds its original heavy glass and backboards. Measuring 139 cm high and 97 cm wide, this large decorative mirror is designed to sit above a mantelpiece in a living room, hallway or bedroom. It provides a relaxed, understated alternative to a traditional gilt mirror in a French Chateau interior scheme.

FAQs

Antique French gesso mirrors feature a wooden frame coated in a mixture of chalk and animal glue, known as gesso, which was historically painted or gilded. Produced extensively during the 18th and 19th centuries, these mirrors typically exhibit arched tops, beaded inner borders, and ornate carved crestings.

These frames were constructed with a carved pine or lime wood substrate, coated in white gesso plaster, and often layered with a clay-based red bole before gilding. Over time, natural wear or deliberate stripping reveals the underlying textured gesso and clay tones.

Authentic period examples feature natural craquelure across the plaster finish, exposed red bole undertones, hand-cut wooden backboards, and soft oxidation or light foxing on the glass.

A large bare gesso mirror can be leaning against a wall in a hallway or reception room to maximise light, or positioned above a stone fireplace mantelpiece to provide architectural height and balance.

Dust the frame regularly using a dry, soft bristle brush. Avoid water, liquid detergents, or damp cloths, as moisture can soften and dissolve the water-soluble gesso composition.

French Antique Company

Antique French Bare Gesso Mirror C1860

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