THE NORTHUMBERLAND MIRRORS: A MAGNIFICENT PAIR OF GEORGE II GILTWOOD MIRRORS

June 10 2009, 10:40am

The present mirrors are one of the most complex and dynamic expressions of the early rococo style in England. The mirrors employ the language of the rococo in the form of rocaille, floral and shell-like forms, and c-scrolls, yet retain a baroque sense of massivity and balance that eschews any hint of rococo frivolity. The mirrors formed, at one time, part of the iconic collection of the Duke of Northumberland. According to Graham Child, they have a history of being present in three of the Ducal residences. “They were formerly at a house called Stanwick Park... The pair is also illustrated in the Duke of Northumberland's archives as being in the collection at Alnwick Castle, Northumberland, and were recently removed from Syon House, Middlesex.” Sir Hugh Smithson of Yorkshire, who adopted the name Percy upon his marriage to Elizabeth Percy in 1740, inherited the title of Earl of Northumberland from his father-in-law, Algernon Seymour, in 1750.