A Chinese reverse-painted mirror after ‘The Snake in the Grass’ by Sir Joshua Reynolds, late 18th century

This reverse-painted mirror would have been manufactured in Europe, sent to China to be painted and then sent back to Europe for display. It is a copy of a painting by Joshua Reynolds in the Tate Britain (N00885): while the Tate example is titled A Nymph and Cupid: ‘The Snake in the Grass’, the painting goes by various names including The Snake in the Grass; or Love unloosing the zone of Beauty (for the copy in the John Soane’s Museum, P7) and Cupid Untying the Zone of Venus (for the copy in the Hermitage, ГЭ-1320). The model for Venus is none other than Emma Hart, the famous beauty who would later become the famous Lady Hamilton, lover to Lord Nelson and an inspiration to several artists including Romney and Vigée-Leburn alongside Reynolds. Various other examples of reverse-painted mirrors after Reynolds have been seen at auction, such as a version of his painting of Nellie O’Brien at the Wallace Collection (P38), sold Sotheby’s New York, 3^rd November 2005, lot 389, and a copy of his painting of Mrs Hale as Euphrosyne at Harewood House (HHTP:2001.1.71), sold Sotheby's London, 31st October 2018, lot 483.