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Design
lock, m, born 1705 - died 1765 - Enlarge image
Design
- Place of origin:
London, England (etched)
- Date:
1744 (made)
- Artist/Maker:
lock, m, born 1705 - died 1765 (etcher)
- Materials and Techniques:
Etching, ink on paper
- Museum number:
27811:6
- Gallery location:
British Galleries, room 53b, case 2
Object Type
This print is an etching, which uses the action of acid to create lines on a metal printing plate. This sheet is a printed plate from a pattern book entitled Six Sconces, published by Matthias Lock in 1744. This pattern book consists of a set of six plates of designs for wall-mirrors, some with sconces (brackets for holding candles). It was the first Rococo carver's pattern book to be published in Britain.
Subject Depicted
The print shows a design for a pier glass, which is a tall narrow mirror designed to be attached to the wall between windows. The extreme asymmetry of the design is deceptive, as the print was probably intended to show two designs, each of which could be seen in its entirety by placing a small frame-less mirror down the centre. The eagle at the top and the winged head at the bottom of the mirror are copied from French Rococo prints.
People
Matthias Lock (active from about 1710 to1765) was a furniture designer and carver who worked in the Rococo style. He was also one of a number of designers to publish pattern books. Like this book, they were essentially collections of illustrations, which ensured the rapid spread of the style.
