Reverse Glass Mezzotint

A side by side image of the front and back of a shattered polychrome sheet of glass that depicts an infant St John in white robes leaning over the lap of a young seated St Elizabeth, robed in gold and blue, and is receiving an olive branch on a platter from and elderly St Zachariah, robed in green and red. The three figures are outside, there is a tree to their right, and mountain behind them. The fragments of glass are arranged in their correct position but with visible space between them.

Identification

  • Object Type: Painted Reverse Glass Print
  • Date: Circa 1804
  • Origin: Unknown
  • Owner: Private
  • Maker: W.B. Walker printmakers
  • Measurements: 
    • Height: 26 cm
    • Width: 20 cm
    • Thickness: 1.5 cm
  • Materials: Glass, paper, natural resin varnish, oil paint 

Summary

A reverse glass mezzotint (painted) depicting the infant St John and his parents St Elizabeth and St Zachariah. 

Signed W.B. Walker printmakers and dated 1804, the object is likely to have been commercially produced by the printmakers. However, monochrome mezzotints were widely available, and during this period workshops were advertised to the emergent middle-class women where they could learn the final stages of the process at home. 

Reverse glass prints are multilayered objects, and the process can be complex and slow. Briefly, a mezzotint is adhered face down to a sheet of glass on a natural resin varnish, the paper backing of the print is rubbed away until it become transparent and is varnished again. Finally, the back of the print is painted with oil paints. The aim of the method is to produce a finely detailed image with the appearance of an oil painting behind glass rather than stained glass. 

Given to the current owner by a film-history collector, it had always been in several pieces, and he has never seen it in one piece. 

Behind the Scenes

A side by side image of the front and back of a shattered polychrome sheet of glass that depicts an infant St John in white robes leaning over the lap of a young seated St Elizabeth, robed in gold and blue, and is receiving an olive branch on a platter from and elderly St Zachariah, robed in green and red. The three figures are outside, there is a tree to their right, and mountain behind them. The fragments of glass are arranged in their correct position but with visible space between them.
Front and painted back view of a shattered reverse glass print before treatment. 
An annotated diagram of four pieces of the painted reverse glass print depicting St Zachariah stood in front of a cloudy sky and mountings. The image has been divided vertically by a red line, The right side labelled “ transmitted light” shows the white clouds and blue sky. The left side labelled “reflected light” appears darker and the colours have a yellow tint compared to the right side caused by the yellowing varnish.
Comparison of colour in reflected and transmitted light, caused by the yellowing varnish.
Fragments of the painted reverse glass print viewed under ultraviolet light. The fragments fluoresce a milky pale blue colour obscuring the image depicted.
The front of the painted glass under UV light.
A fragment of the painted reverse glass print viewed through a microscope. A circular image on a black background showing the layered structure of the object, the top layer of blue paint has been lost exposing the black ink and varnish layer underneath, below that is the glass surface.
The decorative layers of the painted reverse glass print, under the microscope.
Fragments of the painted reverse glass print positioned vertically on an easel during the adhering process. Surrounding the fragments are squares of white card held in position with magnets aligning the fragments. There is a horizontal strip of white card across the fragments to stop them falling away from the easel.
The adhering process of the glass fragments. The white card is being used to align the fragments.

The conservator who treated this object is Dafydd, click on the profile to learn more.

Note: All images were taken by the conservator unless stated otherwise.

Dafydd, a white man in his late thirties with long brown and grey hair. He is looking to his right, smiling and inclined slightly forward. He is wearing a dark coat over a light sweater and is holding a pair of reading and sunglasses. The photo is in black and white.

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