Around 1500, Venetian glassmakers on Murano perfected the technique of backing flat glass with a reflective tin-mercury amalgam, leading to the commercial introduction of mirrors to European elites. These mirrors became essential luxury items, symbolizing wealth and status in Renaissance society. The innovation not only transformed interior design but also influenced art and portraiture, as the reflective surfaces allowed for new artistic expressions.

The introduction of mirrors to European elites revolutionized self-reflection in literature, inspiring a wave of self-reflexive sonnets that explored identity and aging. This innovation influenced poets like John Keats, who grappled with themes of beauty and the passage of time.