Design for large fireplace white tiles produced in Wedgwood's factory
1899
Medium
Pen and black ink over graphite
Dimensions
mount: 11 7/16 x 8 1/4 in. (29 x 21 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
61.570.15
Tags
Art Historical Context
This delicate pen and black ink drawing over graphite, attributed to neoclassical artist John Flax, presents a design for large white fireplace tiles crafted at the renowned Wedgwood factory. Measuring about 11½ by 8¼ inches on its mount, the work falls into the category of ornamental architecture, showcasing Flaxman's signature precise linework and classical motifs. Tags highlight helmets, shields, and female figures, evoking ancient or Roman heroism—likely warrior women or deities in dynamic poses suited for elegant Victorian hearths. Flaxman, a leading figure in late 18th- and early 19th-c...
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...