Italian, Northern Italy
Pair of Mirrors (Specchiere), 18th century
Painted and gilded wood, mirrored glass, 71.1 x 49.5 cm (28 x 19 1/2 in.)
These rectangular framed mirrors are positioned in the vertical position and hang high on the wall, flanking the over mantle of the fireplace in the Early Italian Room. The frame of each mirror is elaborately carved with curving sections painted in a shade of red and leaflike details that are gilded. On the sides and bottom, the gilded sections are outside the framing; on top, they are both outside and inside the framing. A dark mark on the mirrored glass bisects the mirror vertically from top to bottom; another appears horizontally on the side to our left.
Early Italian Room
Commentary
Isabella Stewart Gardner kept meticulous records of many of her acquisitions. In keeping with this legacy, object information is continually being reviewed, updated, and enriched in order to give greater access to the collection.