Reverse Painting on Glass, of the Capitol in Washington, DC

This is a wonderful example of a reverse painting on glass, and one of the most unique souvenirs we've seen. These pieces were popular between about 1815 and 1920, with the peak about 1857. They were produced by artists painting on the inside of the glass, copying the artwork from an example print. This one was produced for sale to tourists in Washington. As with all reverse painting, some of the paint has flaked off, but not much. There are no major voids in the picture. The chalk and wood frame is a bit rough, but altogether this piece has a lot of character and history. It is about 24 inches tall. This antique keepsake is a little unusual in that most examples we see are painted in landscape, while this one is portrait orientation.