French Louis XVI Style Rococo Oval Gilt Mirror Circa 1870

French Louis XVI Style Rococo Oval Gilt Mirror circa 1870 • French - work realized circa 1870 • Second French Empire Napoleon III • Louis XV Rocaille style • Water gilded with some original red bole work showing • Very large and impressive wall mirror • Ornate upper and lower crests • Elaborately decorated with shells, swags, floral and foliate motifs throughout • Rope twist to outer part of the frame • Acanthus leaves and rose motifs to the inner decorative section • Shaped mouldings and beading frame/surround the mirror • Bevelled mirror • Good condition; Some marks of wear appropriate for age and usage • Minor losses • H: 117cm (46.1") W: 79cm (31.1") This exquisite 19th-century (circa 1880) French Louis XVI style gilded oval mirror is designed to add a luxurious decorative element to any room. It features elaborate stylized shell, floral, and foliate motifs on the upper and lower crests and surrounds, with a subtly embossed frame in between, encircling the original oval bevelled mirror. Over the past century, the frame's original finish has developed an enchanting patina that highlights the craftsmanship of the decorations. The crown and base's exceptional ornamentation suggest that this mirror may have been a custom commission or a premium item in the manufacturer's catalogue. The frame's sides also display a delicate embossed pattern, edged with a beaded moulding trim right next to the mirror glass. Such a treasure can instantly become the centrepiece of a room and amplify the ambient light. The mirror is in good condition, with wear that is appropriate for its age and usage. Rococo/Roccoco Style Rococo, also known as Late Baroque, is an ornate and theatrical style of architecture, art, and decoration. It combines asymmetry, scrolling curves, gilding, white and pastel colours, sculpted moulding, and trompe-l'œil frescoes to create effects of surprise and the illusion of motion and drama. It is often seen as the final expression of the Baroque movement. The Rococo style emerged in France in the 1730s as a reaction to the more formal and geometric Louis XIV style. It was known as "style Rocaille" or "Rocaille style" and it quickly spread across Europe, especially to northern Italy, Austria, southern Germany, Central Europe, and Russia, influencing sculpture, furniture, silverware, glassware, painting, music, theatre, and literature. Although initially secular and used in private residences, Rococo gained a spiritual dimension, leading to its adoption in church interiors across Central Europe, Portugal, and South America. French Rococo, or Rocaille style, emerged in Paris during Louis XV's reign and thrived from around 1723 to 1759. It was particularly favoured in salons, rooms designed to impress and entertain guests. A notable example is the salon of the Princess in the Hôtel de Soubise in Paris, designed by Germain Boffrand and Charles-Joseph Natoire (1735 – 1740). French Rococo is characterized by exceptional artistry, seen in the intricate frames for mirrors and paintings, sculpted in plaster and often gilded, and the use of vegetal forms like vines, leaves, and flowers in complex designs. The furniture also displayed sinuous curves and vegetal motifs. Prominent designers and craftsmen of this style included Juste-Aurele Meissonier, Charles Cressent, and Nicolas Pineau. The Rocaille style persisted in France until the mid-18th century, becoming increasingly curvilinear and vegetal, yet it never reached the lavish exuberance of Rococo found in Bavaria, Austria, and Italy. The discovery of Roman antiquities starting in 1738 at Herculaneum, and particularly at Pompeii in 1748, steered French architecture towards the more balanced and restrained Neoclassicism. For a complete assessment of the item's condition, we encourage you to carefully examine all the provided photos. These pictures are integral to the description and condition report of the item, providing crucial visual details about its appearance and quality. Purchasing any item online can sometimes be a bit of concern, rest assured we are an established and successful business and have many happy clients both in the trade and as private clients. We have a beautiful showroom in West Sussex and you are always welcome to visit to view any of our delightful items. We do not include delivery in our prices as this is dependent upon many factors such as whether it is mainland or overseas. The following options are available to you:- • You can arrange your own collection from our address • You can fill in the delivery request option • You can email us for further information if there is more than one item • Proovia Delivery offer a 2 person delivery system