AL Brochure Oct 2013 | Page 8

THE VARDY MIRROR (AL31039) A white painted ‘looking glass’, the rectangular bevelled edge plate within a broad flowering vine carved frame centred by gilt palm leaves, the sides with palm leaves encroaching from the frame onto the plate, with a broken swan neck pediment above centred by acanthus leaves and a large shell. ARISTOCRATIC OPULENCE The original mirror was commissioned by John, 1st Earl Spencer, circa 1755 for Spencer House and is attributable to the architect John Vardy, whose triumph was the construction and design of Spencer House, London The original mirror was removed from the celebrated Palm Room at Spencer house and placed at Althorp in 1926 where it now hangs in the South Drawing Room. 6