The convex mirror has a long and varied history. It has been documented in many works of art, most famously Jan Van Eyck’s 1434 portrait The Arnolfini Marriage. And rather impressively, the convex mirror has popularly adorned the walls of residences in Europe and America since the 18th century!
Owing to the fact that convex mirrors provide a wider field of vision than flat mirrors they were historically a favourite of butlers. Often positioned above the dining room sideboard, the convex mirror would enable the butler to keep a discrete eye on the dinner guests whilst keeping his back turned.
