FRANCE, ÉPOQUE RÉGENCE (1700-1730) Lot n° 39

MIRROR TO THE SPHINGES Carved and gilded wood, mirror. Height 183 cm, width 97.5 cm This mirror with carved and gilded wooden glazing beads is bordered by a double scroll frame. Four spandrels stand out from the bottom of the ice, each adorned with female faces from which elegant foliage scrolls escape. It is surmounted by a largely scrolled pediment, centred on a female mask crowned with a palmette, and sphinxes visible on the shoulders . This work shows how the merchant merchants of this first third of the 18th century were able to influence and recreate very original ice forms. This glazing bead mirror has been designed as an enlargement of traditional glazing, without reaching the important proportions of a trumeau. To do this, merchant merchants will encourage artists to open the borders and interpret them as pilasters. Still with the aim of increasing the reflective surface, the woodcarvers chose to add an elaborate pediment. This new form will constitute an original support of creations for the artists who will then be able to include all the new ornamental repertoire created under the Regency. This exuberant decoration, enhanced by the richness of the gilding, remains perfectly mastered, however, particularly by respecting strict symmetry. The following decades, under the influence of the Louis XV style, saw the development of a true decorative abundance in the great tradition of rockery.