Essay by Emma Burns, Class of 2012

Reverse glass painting is a medium that dates as far back as the early sixteenth century in Europe and was first documented in China during the middle of the eighteenth century (Beggerow). The technique, however, did not make its way to the United States until the 1830s. Shortly after this time, there was enough interest in this skill that it was taught at women's boarding schools, much like samplers, and instructions appeared in magazines with stencils available by mail. Designs were mostly wreaths, flowers or floral baskets (Ketchum), similar to Augustana's piece. The genre of still life painting gained popularity with the growing middle class and also with the rise of Impressionism in the nineteenth century. Traditional academic subject matter trailed behind the goal of aesthetic color harmony. The harmony seen in this piece, with its bold primary colors of blue and yellow, along with complementary colors of blue and orange, draws the viewer's eye to the center of the painting. The subject matter is what classifies it as still life.

The technique behind a reverse glass painting is done in reverse from traditional paintings. The finest details are painted first, such as the pupil of an eye or the center of a flower. Larger portions of the painting are done after this, and finally the background is filled in. This leaves little room for error while building and completing the piece. The finished painting is thus a mirror image of the original painting as the glass is ultimately turned over and displayed with the paint behind it. In this manner, the original details are effectively reversed to the front of the composition and through frugal Yankee ingenuity, the glass serves a dual purpose as canvas for the painting as well as protection for the framed work of art. The challenge lies in ensuring the glass does not break over the years, as that would effectively break the painting as well.

Although this reverse glass painting is anonymous, we can assume that it was made by a Victorian period woman as females were taught crafts like these in order to prepare them to be wives and to decorate their homes. Their construction also served as a form of hobby much like crafts today. Because it was produced by an untrained artist, we may classify this work as folk art. Contrary to fine art produced by trained artists, folk art serves a more decorative purpose rather than an elevated didactic one. Yet it has become more prized and valuable over the past several decades for its ability to capture an original and fresh view, directly from eye to hand, without the benefit of a filter through formal academic training. Reverse glass paintings were also sometimes incorporated into mirrors, clocks, lamps and other furniture further emphasizing their decorative purpose and bringing the craft closer to the women who generally painted them and the domestic setting in which they were placed.