Beschreibung:

A George III carved giltwood wall mirror, circa 1760, in the manner of Thomas Johnson the shaped plate within the cartouche shaped frame carved throughout with C scroll motifs, acanthus and sprigs of flowers, incorporating some architectural and rockwork elements, 107cm high, 64cm wide Provenance: The Dukes of Newcastle, Clumber Park, Mansfield, lot 515, Christie, Manson & Woods, 1937 Thomas Johnson was a highly talented carver and designer. A contemporary of Thomas Chippendale and Matthias Locke, he published to great acclaim in 1755 'Twelve Girandoles' and followed this with '53 designs' in 1756. Drawing inspiration from the fables of Aesop, the roccoco, China and the idealistic rustic life, his work is whimsical, exuberant and witty. Chippendale borrowed freely from Johnsons work causing Johnson to refer to Chippendale in his autobiography as '..that damned plagiarist'. For related designs of mirror see Thomas Johnson Collection of Designs, 1758, Plate VIII. and Elizabeth White Pictorial Dictionary of British 18th century Furniture Design, Antique Collectors Club, 1990