Design for large fireplace white tiles produced in Wedgwood's factory
19th century
Medium
Pen and black ink over graphite
Dimensions
mount: 8 1/4 x 11 7/16 in. (21 x 29 cm)
Classification
Drawings|Ornament & Architecture
Department
Drawings and Prints
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Gift of Randolph Gunter, 1961
Accession Number
61.570.12
Tags
Art Historical Context
John Flaxman's *Design for Large Fireplace White Tiles Produced in Wedgwood's Factory* (19th century) is a delicate preparatory drawing that bridges fine art and industrial design. Rendered in pen and black ink over graphite on a modest mount (8¼ × 11⅜ inches), it features motifs of men and horses, evoking classical scenes likely inspired by ancient Greek or Roman narratives. As a neoclassical artist renowned for his sculptures and illustrations, Flaxman skillfully translated timeless motifs into functional designs. This work highlights Flaxman's pivotal collaboration with Josiah Wedgwood's f...
About the Artist
John Flaxman · 1755–1826
John Flaxman (1755–1826) was born in York, England, the son of John Flaxman Sr., a moulder and seller of plaster casts who ran a studio in London's Covent Garden. Largely self-taught amid his father's stock of classical casts, with minimal formal schooling due to childhood illness, Flaxman displayed prodigious talent early on. At age 12, he won a Society of Arts prize for a medallion; by 15, anoth...