Reverse Glass Painting
Reverse glass painting of a domestic scene. Made in Canton during the Late Qing dynasty (approx. 1785-1790) on a 61.5 x 90.5 cm glass plate. This painting is part of the collection of Museum Volkenkunde.
Stories
- Start this story
Can You Trust Your Eyes?
story by Michelle Tiu.This painting seems like an ordinary oil or gouache painting. Upon taking a closer look, you start to realize it is no ordinary canvas painting. It was painted on the back of a glass plate! Imagine what else you might have missed? This reverse glass painting is one of the thirty-nine reverse glass paintings found in Dutch collections. It was once a widely sought-after collector’s item in Europe and the United States. Now most of them are collecting dust in museum depots.