18th-Century mirrors join the decoration of the Music Room at the National Palace of Queluz after restoration

There are new highlights in the Music Room, one of the most important state rooms of the National Palace of Queluz. Visitors to this space will now find two imposing mirrors with carved and gilded wooden frames, dating from the late 18th century, which have been installed following conservation and restoration works. The intervention focused primarily on the wooden structure, the carved detailing, which was partially fragmented, and the gilding work.

These Portuguese-made pieces originate from the former collections of the Royal Household and were originally part of a set of four mirrors, which are now divided into two pairs: one pair is housed at the National Palace of Belém, in the Empire Room, while the other is now in the Music Room of the National Palace of Queluz, having joined the monument’s collection in 1912, following the establishment of the Republic.

The mirrors display several fascinating characteristics linked to the period in which they were crafted — around 1780, during the reign of Queen Maria I. They were produced using the traditional techniques of the time, which involved the application of mercury. Moreover, due to their large size (approximately 2.70 metres in height), two separate glass panels had to be joined to create each mirror. This technique inevitably resulted in a visible seam at the centre, where the two panels meet. In the late 18th century, mirrors of this scale could not be produced in a single piece.

Contemporay with the National Palace of Queluz, these mirrors integrate harmoniously within the Music Room, whose finely carved wooden decoration reflects its purpose, depicting violins and other musical instruments suspended from ribbons and tassels on the concave ceiling. The space is dominated by a portrait of Queen Maria I, the first monarch to reside in the Palace, beneath which is preserved a rare Clementi pianoforte, recently restored and still used in concerts today.