Reverse painting

Notice of Upcoming Content and Access Change

The Museum is working on the future of our online collections access. A new version will be available later in 2023. During this transition period, the current version of the Collections Browser may have reduced functionality and data may be not be updated. We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause. For any questions or concerns, please contact us.

What is AAT?

The Art & Architecture Thesaurus (AAT) (r) is a structured vocabulary for generic concepts related to art and architecture. It was developed by The Getty Research Institute to help research institutions become consistent in the terminology they use.Learn More

Object Name: 
Reverse painting
Place Made: 
Accession Number: 
85.3.28
Dimensions: 
H: 14.9 cm, L: 14.9 cm, W: 2 cm Mrs. Jerome Strauss, State College, PA
Location: 
Not on Display
Date: 
about 1550-1600
Credit Line: 
Gift of Mrs. Jerome Strauss
Primary Description: 
Colorless, blue, white, amethyst, amber non-lead glasses; blown flat glass, painted; drawn rods. Flat, square wood frame, with gilt gesso; six rows of rods line the sides: a thin circular rod of colorless with a band of spiral white threads, a flattened amber rod with scratched and white-painted stripes, another threaded rod, a flattened purple rod, decorated like the amber rod, another threaded rod, and at the inside a flattened bright blue rod, decorated like the amber rod; enclosing a wavy flat square plate of glass painted and gilt on the reverse with a portrait of an old, bearded male saint, kneeling before a crude wooden cross, with a lion lying alongside, a room in a crude dwelling behind him, with books and a reed-wrapped bottle on shelves, and a bright red hat on the ground; a building in the background; bordered by a narrow blue band with gold dots, and framed with gold lines; the back of the wood frame with an illegible black ink inscription; strap metal staple hanger, replacing the original; a piece of white cloth tape covers a small hole which exposes the back of the painted plaque.
Department: 
Provenance: 
Strauss, Lucille (Mrs. Jerome) (1908-1994), Source
Recent Important Acquisitions, 28 (1986) illustrated, p. 103, #19; BIB# AI17497
The Corning Museum of Glass Annual Report 1985 (1986) illustrated, pp. 4, 12; BIB# AI96384