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Reverse Painted Glass Mirrors

(149 items)

Discover NOVICA's Reverse-Painted Glass Mirrors. The technique of painting glass on the reverse side originated in medieval European sacred works. Today, frames crafted of reverse-painted glass surround our collection of handcrafted artisan traditional and contemporary-style mirrors showcased in this unique collection.

The Village Council

Your answers straight from the village experts

Reverse Painted Glass Mirrors

Reverse glass painting has some counterintuitive challenges. The artist must paint the figures backwards from how they will be viewed from the other side of the glass. If that wasn’t enough of a struggle, the finest details—wrinkles, eyebrows, shading—must be applied first, so that they are closest to the glass surface and ultimately sit on top of dress colors, background motifs, and any other general parts of the painting. Paint dries slowly on glass, meaning that each reverse glass painted mirror must be meticulously done. The end result is a painting that people describe as having an intriguing depth. Due to its challenges, however, reverse glass painting is a more rare form. With artistic ardor and concern for the extinction of traditional art forms, Edmundo Contreras aspires to preserve history, as well as beauty, through his reverse painted glass mirrors.

The End of Season Sale Collection

Discover our unique collection of beautiful, handmade objects from around the world, inspired by more than a century of exploration.

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