Fireboard
c. 1820
Medium
Oil on pine panel
Dimensions
87.6 × 116.2 cm (34 1/4 × 45 3/4 in.)
Classification
fire screen (furniture)
Department
Arts of the Americas
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
208078
Rights
Public Domain
About this artwork
The fireplace and hearth served as the center of eighteenth- and early-nineteenth-century American homes. In larger houses that had fireplaces in more than one room, they were often "dressed up" with paintings hung above the mantel and fireboards. The latter were especially common during the summer months, when they were utilized to beautify the gaping hole of the unused fireplace. This fireboard was painted right around 1820, when John Moseley completed the construction of a house on Main Stree...
About the Artist
Unknown
The artist designated as "Unknown" in our virtual museum's collection exemplifies a poignant chapter in art history: creators whose identities have faded into obscurity despite the enduring power of their work. With only one known artwork attributed to them in our holdings, this figure represents countless anonymous hands that shaped visual culture across centuries. Museums worldwide, including th...