Design for a Chimneypiece, Incorporating a Portrait of George III
1760–69
Medium
Pen and brown ink, brush and gray wash, over graphite
Dimensions
sheet: 9 x 4 15/16 in. (22.9 x 12.5 cm)
Classification
Drawings|Ornament & Architecture
Department
Drawings and Prints
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
The Elisha Whittelsey Collection, The Elisha Whittelsey Fund, 1954
Accession Number
54.648.2
Tags
Art Historical Context
This exquisite design drawing by Sir William Chambers, leading neoclassical architect of the 18th century, envisions an elegant chimneypiece—a decorative fireplace mantel—centered around a profile portrait of King George III Created between 1760 and 1769, during the early years of George III's reign, it reflects the Georgian era's fascination with grandeur and royal symbolism. Chambers, known for grand projects like Somerset House, masterfully integrates the king's likeness with heraldic elements like a coat of arms, blending architecture and portraiture to evoke loyalty and prestige in a dome...
About the Artist
Sir William Chambers · 1723–1796
### Sir William Chambers (1723–1796) Born on 23 February 1723 in Gothenburg, Sweden, to parents of Scottish descent—his father a merchant—Sir William Chambers embarked on an extraordinary path that bridged continents and cultures. At just 16, after initial education in England, he joined the Swedish East India Company, undertaking three voyages to China in the 1740s. These journeys profoundly sha...