18TH CENTURY PIER / WALL MIRROR IN THE ADAM STYLE - REF No. 6018

Product Details

H: 60 in / 152.5 cm ; W: 24 3/4 in / 63 cm

A very fine 18th century oval gilt wall / pier mirror in the Adam style, the mirror glass plate of oval form is set within hand carved moulded and reeded giltwood frame, surmounted in an intricately pierced centered crest composition of a fabulous arrangement of elegant Neoclassical motifs, comprising of a central torch flanked with strands of wheat blades scrolled foliage, and flowers. The base is further decorated with an arrangement of scrolling foliate.

Circa 1780

English

Plate measures: H: 23 1/2 in / 59.7 cm ; W: 15 1/2 in / 39.4 cm

ROBERT ADAM:

Robert Adam (1728 – 92) was one of the most important British architects working in the Neoclassical style – a movement in the decorative and visual arts that drew inspiration from the 'classical' art and culture of Ancient Greece and Rome.

Born in Kirkaldy, Scotland, Robert Adam was the son of the established architect William Adam (1689 – 1748), and followed him into the family practice. In 1754 he embarked on a Grand Tour, spending five years in France and Italy visiting classical sites and studying architecture under the French draughtsman Charles-Louis Clérisseau and Italian artist Giovanni Battista Piranesi. On his return, Adam established his own practice in London with his brother James. Although classical architecture was already becoming popular, Adam developed a distinctive and highly individual style which was applied to all elements of interior decoration, from ceilings, walls and floors to furniture, silver and ceramics. The 'Adam Style', as it became known, was enormously popular and had a lasting influence on British architecture and interior design.