A RARE GEORGE III GILTWOOD MIRROR, ATTRIBUTED TO THOMAS JOHNSON

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A RARE GEORGE III GILTWOOD MIRROR, ATTRIBUTED TO THOMAS JOHNSON

English, circa 1765.

Dimensions:
Height: 160cm / 63 Inches
Width: 100cm / 39.4 Inches 

A rare George III carved giltwood mirror, attributed to the celebrated English designer Thomas Johnson.

The oval frame is finely carved border, incorporating scrolling C-scrolls and acanthus foliage, surmounted by figure and cresting featuring foliage and a pair of Ho Ho birds.

Born in 1723, Thomas Johnson was one of the most imaginative and eccentric carvers of the mid-18th century, and a leading figure of the English Rococo. Apprenticed to his cousin at thirteen, he later worked in James Whittle’s workshop, where he met Matthias Lock. In 1755, Johnson published Twelve Girandoles, followed by fifty-three designs in 1756–57, bringing his work to a wider audience. As a carver rather than a cabinet-maker, he created highly inventive designs for wall lights, girandoles and console tables, often using playful and narrative motifs inspired by Aesop’s Fables. Johnson also worked as a freelance designer and carver, and is believed to have collaborated with Thomas Chippendale on designs for The Director, explaining the similarities between their work.