Kenneth Neame: Cadogan Square and Mayfair
Kenneth Neame: Cadogan Square and Mayfair
Two Chinese export reverse mirror paintings, 18th century
No reserve
Lot Closed
December 15, 04:41 PM GMT
Estimate
1,000 - 1,500 GBP
Lot Details
Description
Two Chinese export reverse mirror paintings, 18th century
one depicting a classical scene of Diana with attendants, the second depicting Werther and Charlotte, in giltwood frames
the rectangular example: 42.5cm. high, 36.5cm. wide; the round example: 42cm. diameter
The image for the round mirror is taken from a series of engravings to Goethe's epistolary novel The Sorrows of Young Werther, after drawings by James Northcote. A 1784 print of this engraving is in the collections of the British Museum, inventory number 1861,0810.563. In this scene, Werther takes leave of Charlotte for the last time; his intense but unrequited love for her has tortured him so deeply that he then goes on to commit suicide, the shockingly violent conclusion that made the novel so popular across Europe. We are extremely grateful to Christopher Coles for his assistance in identifying the source print of this picture.