Oak Carving from Fireplace in the Jerusalem Chamber, Westminster
Medium
Watercolor
Dimensions
sheet: 10 5/8 x 7 1/2 in. (27 x 19.1 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, 1966
Accession Number
66.562.15
Tags
Art Historical Context
In the heart of Westminster Abbey Jerusalem Chamber—a historic room linked to medieval pilgrims and the deathbed of King Henry IV in 1413—stands an intricately carved oak fireplace mantel. This delicate 1838 watercolor by British architect Charles James Richardson captures its ornate details with precision, measuring just 10⅝ × 7½ inches. Richardson, a prominent Victorian draughtsman known for his meticulous documentation of Britain's Gothic heritage, created this as part of a broader effort to record endangered architectural treasures amid 19th-century renovations. Rendered in watercolor on ...