Design for a Fireplace
mid-18th century
Medium
Pen and brown ink, brush and pale brown and green wash and watercolor
Dimensions
sheet: 9 5/8 x 5 1/2 in. (24.4 x 14 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, 1967
Accession Number
67.707.5
Tags
Art Historical Context
This delicate design for a fireplace, created in the mid-18th century architect Robert Taylor and sculptor Sir Henry Cheere, the refined ornamental draughtsmanship of Georgian Britain. Rendered on a modest sheet measuring 9⅝ × 5½ inches, the drawing captures an elegant overmantel composition likely intended for a grand domestic interior, blending architectural precision with decorative flair. Taylor, known for his neoclassical buildings, and Cheere, a leading monumental mason knighted for his work, collaborated on such commissions, reflecting the era's emphasis on harmonious room ensembles whe...
About the Artist
Robert Taylor|Sir Henry Cheere (British|British) · 1714 |1703 –1788 |1781
British, Essex 1714–1788 London|British, London 1703–1781 London