Mirror Back
1901 (made)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
Object Type
This back for a hand-held mirror was made as a competition entry and is therefore unique. Hand-held mirrors of this period typically formed part of a ladies' dressing table set which included brushes, combs, pots for powder and perfume, and a tray.
Design & Designing
Francis George Wood, the designer of this piece, attended the Salford School of Art. This was one of a network of local art schools that had began to spring up around the country from the 1850s onwards. The schools provided training for artists and designers with the intention of improving the quality of design of manufactured goods. The syllabuses offered by the schools were strictly set out and focused on drawing skills and techniques. Students graduated through the various stages of drawing, mastering subjects from nature such as flowers and foliage before moving on to the human figure.
Subjects Depicted
Daffodils were a popular decorative motif at this time and appeared on wallpaper and fabric designs as well as on small domestic objects. In the 1890s Arthur Wilcock designed a 'Daffodils and Crocus' chintz for Liberty's as part of its range of Art Nouveau-inspired fabrics. The ornament of intertwining stems and leaves shows the influence of the graphic style of the Arts and Crafts designer Walter Crane (1845-1915), as well as continental Art Nouveau.
This back for a hand-held mirror was made as a competition entry and is therefore unique. Hand-held mirrors of this period typically formed part of a ladies' dressing table set which included brushes, combs, pots for powder and perfume, and a tray.
Design & Designing
Francis George Wood, the designer of this piece, attended the Salford School of Art. This was one of a network of local art schools that had began to spring up around the country from the 1850s onwards. The schools provided training for artists and designers with the intention of improving the quality of design of manufactured goods. The syllabuses offered by the schools were strictly set out and focused on drawing skills and techniques. Students graduated through the various stages of drawing, mastering subjects from nature such as flowers and foliage before moving on to the human figure.
Subjects Depicted
Daffodils were a popular decorative motif at this time and appeared on wallpaper and fabric designs as well as on small domestic objects. In the 1890s Arthur Wilcock designed a 'Daffodils and Crocus' chintz for Liberty's as part of its range of Art Nouveau-inspired fabrics. The ornament of intertwining stems and leaves shows the influence of the graphic style of the Arts and Crafts designer Walter Crane (1845-1915), as well as continental Art Nouveau.
Object details
| Categories | |
| Object type | |
| Materials and techniques | Pearwood, with gesso decoration |
| Brief description | Back of hand mirror with gesso decoration, designed by Francis George Wood, made in Salford, Greater Manchester, 1901 |
| Physical description | Hand-held mirror made of pearwood with gesso decoration representing daffodils with intertwining stems and leaves. |
| Dimensions |
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| Gallery label | British Galleries:
F.G.Wood, a student at the Manchester School, won a prize in the National Competition of Art & Design, held by the Government School of Design in London in 1901, with this mirror back. By this date prize-winning entries were receiving national coverage in journals such as 'The Studio'.(27/03/2003) |
| Object history | Designed by Francis George Wood. Made in Salford, Greater Manchester |
| Subjects depicted | |
| Summary | Object Type This back for a hand-held mirror was made as a competition entry and is therefore unique. Hand-held mirrors of this period typically formed part of a ladies' dressing table set which included brushes, combs, pots for powder and perfume, and a tray. Design & Designing Francis George Wood, the designer of this piece, attended the Salford School of Art. This was one of a network of local art schools that had began to spring up around the country from the 1850s onwards. The schools provided training for artists and designers with the intention of improving the quality of design of manufactured goods. The syllabuses offered by the schools were strictly set out and focused on drawing skills and techniques. Students graduated through the various stages of drawing, mastering subjects from nature such as flowers and foliage before moving on to the human figure. Subjects Depicted Daffodils were a popular decorative motif at this time and appeared on wallpaper and fabric designs as well as on small domestic objects. In the 1890s Arthur Wilcock designed a 'Daffodils and Crocus' chintz for Liberty's as part of its range of Art Nouveau-inspired fabrics. The ornament of intertwining stems and leaves shows the influence of the graphic style of the Arts and Crafts designer Walter Crane (1845-1915), as well as continental Art Nouveau. |
| Collection | |
| Accession number | 1164-1901 |
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| Record created | March 27, 2003 |
| Record URL |
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