Painted Furniture

Pair of 18th Century Wooden Dummy Boards

A wonderful pair of 18th century Flemish painted wooden dummy boards , representing two soldiers that will make a good focal point .

Dummy boards originated in the Netherlands and England during the late 1600s. These were life-size, flat wooden figures, often painted in trompe-l’œil (trick of the eye) style to resemble real people, animals, or objects.

They were typically cut out of a single piece of pine or oak, then gessoed and hand-painted with remarkable detail and artistry.

Primary purposes:

• Decorative: They added charm and whimsy to stately homes.

• Illusory: Placed in hallways, by fireplaces, or doorways to create the illusion of company.

• Social amusement: Sometimes used to play practical jokes—startling visitors or servants who mistook them for real people.

• Symbolic or commemorative: Some dummy boards represented family members, servants, soldiers, or even fictional characters, used as tokens or memorials.

Dummy boards became particularly popular in England during the 18th century, with examples frequently found in manor houses and grand townhouses. English artisans refined the painting techniques and gave dummy boards a more whimsical or theatrical flair.

B

Price

£4,000

Reference number

20236

Origin

Circa 1750

Measurements

TBC

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