An early Victorian gothic revival polychrome decorated and parcel gilt pier mirror

1840-1850, after designs by A.W.N. Pugin (1812-1852)

Footnotes

Exhibited
"Pugin: A Gothic Passion, A.W.N. Pugin 1812-1852", Exhibition: 15 June to 11 September 1994, Victoria and Albert Museum.

The present lot contains numerous motifs and patterns that can be found amongst some of the designs executed by Augustus Welby Northmore Pugin (1812-1852). The stylised scrolled foliate decoration evident on the offered mirror closely relates to several of Pugin's designs which form part of the Victoria and Albert Museum collection, including one, from c.1850, for an elaborately inscribed 'D' intended for use on a decorative panel (D.688-1908). The alternating bands and scrolled foliage painted on the present example are very similar to those on a sample of wallpaper that feature in a drawing made by Pugin, the latter of which dates to c.1840–1844, (E.25-2009). This particular design was used as the basis for the wallpaper scheme inside Pugin's home, The Grange, in Ramsgate, Kent. Another comparable wallpaper sample (E.3654-2007), again produced by Pugin, was then subsequently also utilised for his own home.

Pugin defined his design and architecture philosophy in his 1841 publication, The True Principles of Pointed or Christian Architecture. Within this book he describes how everything should suit the setting it was meant for, and that items should be honest in their construction and avoid any frivolousness which served no function; ornament was to enrich and its presence should be essential. The current lot exemplifies these principles by means of its ornament being constrained to the dimensions of the frame. Also, the manner in which the polychrome decoration addresses the user of this mirror with the coat of arms (possibly being that of the commissioner), combined with the repeated message or motto inscribed in Gothic script, is notably direct in this same fashion.

The use of Latin script is typical of Pugin designs and many instances of this can be seen across his output. More specifically, it recurs throughout the interior design of The Grange in Ramsgate. In addition to this, the use of heraldic devices was a core element of his style and an embodiment of his 'True Principles'. He understood heraldry to be a system which was rich, symbolic and honest with a clear connection to the past, which stands in stark contrast to what he considered the 'pagan' and empty ornament of classical style. His use of heraldic devices brought about a revival of interest in the study of coats of arms and in heraldry in general. This was at a time when many people were looking to restore their familial association, not only with their medieval origins, but also more generally with their ancestral past.

Pugin, who is often regarded as one of the greatest British architects and designers of the 19th century, was born into the politically and religiously charged late Georgian period. He is arguably the pre-eminent figure of the Gothic style and spearheaded its widespread revival. His work and approach to design philosophy was a catalyst to the likes of John Ruskin, and later William Morris. He most famously designed the interior of the Palace of Westminster and the Elizabeth Tower which houses the bell known as Big Ben. But his energy for design extends all the way through to jewellery and furniture. Pugin revolted against the absence of craftmanship and what he regarded as the poor taste of industrial mass production, advocating for the spirit and forms of medieval design. His later conversion to Catholicism marked his stylistic split from the 'cold and sterile forms of the Scottish church' that he was brought up in.

Further Reading
P. Attenbury and C. Wainwright, Pugin: A Gothic Passion, 1994, New Haven: Yale University Press.
B. Ferrey, Recollections of A. Welby N. Pugin, and his father Augustus Pugin, 1861, London, UK: Edward Stanford.
C. Stanford, The Grange, History Album, Volume 1: The Pugin Family and The Grange., 2006, The Landmark Trust, Berkshire.
A.W.N. Pugin, The True Principles of Pointed or Christian Architecture, 1841.
J.A. Hilton, English Catholic Heraldry since Toleration, 1778-2010, 2018, The Heraldry Society Journal, The Heraldry Society.

Comparables
Victoria and Albert Collection: D.688-1908; E.25-2009; E.3654-2007