Firegrate thumbnail 1
Image of Gallery in South Kensington
On display at V&A South Kensington
Europe 1600-1815, Room 1

Firegrate

1788 (made)
Artist/Maker
Place of origin

This fire furniture consists of a basket and two separate columns supporting bronze figures of Apollo and Fame and is signed by the celebrated Parisian bronzier Pierre-Philippe Thomire and dated 1788. The grate was originally commissioned through the London cabinet maker John Linnell for Uxbridge House, London, but later acquired for Powderham Castle, designed by the architect James Wyatt in the mid-1790s for the 3rd Viscount Courtenay. The grate was once framed by the marble caryatid chimney piece in the Music Room at Powderham, which was made by the English sculptor Richard Westmacott to Wyatt's designs. An inventory at Powderham, compiled in 1803, suggest however, that the grate may have been first shown in the library. It is in remarkable condition, retaining its original gilded surface, and show no signs of use as a fire grate.


Object details

Categories
Object type
Parts
This object consists of 3 parts.

  • Firegrate
  • Column
  • Column
Materials and techniques
Cast iron and gilt-bronze; patinated.
Brief description
French neo-classical firegrate from Powderham Castle, gilt-bronze with cast iron grate and patinated figures, by Pierre-Philippe Thomire, Paris, 1788.
Physical description
French neo-classical fire grate; gilt-bronze with cast iron grate and patinated figures representing Apollo and Euterpe (the muse of Music). The grate has a U-shaped basket and engraved steel bars framed by lyres and masks beneath massive scrolled brackets cast with acanthus and mounted with anthemions, the rounded down-curved sides bordered with berried laurel, the lower edge with a band of stiff leaves, on four fluted tapering legs, signed 'THOMIRE A PARIS 1788' below the front edge; the columns with fluted shafts each supporting a bronze figure, one of Apollo, standing nude and wearing flowery drapery, both on tall stepped plinths mounted with oval classical profile medallions. The figure of Apollo is also signed 'THOMIRE A PARIS 1788'
Dimensions
  • Grate height: 115cm
  • Grate width: 85cm
  • Grate depth: 48.5cm
  • Grate depth: 51cm
  • Base to top of column height: 107cm
  • Across column width: 22cm
  • Across column depth: 22cm
Measured by Conservation in 2011 for Princely Treasures touring exhibition. Dimensions slightly larger to allow for display case.
Style
Production typeUnique
Marks and inscriptions
'THOMIRE A PARIS 1788' (The signature appears on the front edge of the fire basket and on the figure of Apollo)
Translation
Made by Pierre-Philippe Thomire in Paris in 1788
Gallery label
  • Fire-grate with columns 1788 The fire-grate includes many Neoclassical features including lyres, masks and acanthus leaves (on the scrolled brackets). The columns have classical profile medallions at the base. The two mythological figures at the top are Apollo, the sun god, and Euterpe, the muse of music. Designed and manufactured in France, the set was an English commission, made to burn coal rather than wood. France (Paris) By Pierre-Philippe Thomire Gilded and patinated bronze; iron and steel grate Purchased with the assistance of the Art Fund and the National Heritage Memorial Fund (09/12/2015)
  • FIREGRATE AND PAIR OF COLUMNS Gilt and patinated bronze Paris, signed Thomire a Paris and dated 1788 M 19a and b-1987 This firegrate is a rare instance of a gilt bronze being both signed and dated. It was made in the workshops of Pierre-Phuilippe Thomire in 1788 and it shows superlative craftsmanship in the intricate modelling and matt and burnished gilding. The firegrate is interesting because of its signature, dating and quality of execution, but it is unique in that it was made to an English commission and to a specifically English design. The English coal-burning grate was unfamiliar in France where they continued to burn wood. It was probably supplied to the London dealer John Linnell who had connections with the mercier Daguerre in Paris. Linnell was furnishing Uxbridge House in 1788 and this firegrate, decorated with emblems of music, lyres and trumpets, may have been originally intended for the music-room there.(1987)
Credit line
Purchased with Art Fund support and the National Heritage Memorial Fund
Object history
This grate is from Powderham Castle. It was created for ornamental rather than practical use as the remarkable condition of the gilded and patinated surfaces confirms. It was probably originally commissioned for Uxbridge House, London, by the cabinet-maker John Linnell through the Paris marchand mercier Dominique Daguerre who subcontracted it to the leading bronzier Pierre-Philippe Thomire. Recorded at Powderham in the early 19th century, it was sold at Christie's, London in 1987 and acquired by the V&A with contributions from the National Heritage Memorial Fund and the National Art Collections Fund (Art Fund).

Historical significance: Mark Girouard wrote about the Music Room in his articles on Powderham for Country Life Magazine and noted 'As a signed piece in an English home dating from (Thomire's) early and more personal period, the grate at Powderham is, I think, unique'. (Country Life, 18th July 1963)

An article published by Jenny Saunt in the Journal of the Antique Metalware Society (Vol. 18, June 2010: see References) illustrates an inventory at Powderham, compiled in 1803, suggesting that the grate may have been first shown in the library.
Historical context
The Music Room at Powderham Castle was created by the 3rd Viscount Courtenay who employed the architect James Wyatt to design the room and the spectacular caryatid fireplace which was realised by the sculptor Richard Westmacott. The Courtenay family archives list payments for the Music Room from March 1794 to April 1796. The Thomire fire grate was probably acquired for the room as the musical motifs and figures of Apollo and Euterpe provided such an appropriate focus for the hearth.
Production
Attribution note: The V&A has a drawing of a related grate amongst a group of drawings by the cabinet-maker John Linnell (E.375-1929). This particular drawing is associated with Linnell's important commission to furnish and decorate Uxbridge House, London, 1785-88. The drawing bears the inscription 'Echelle de quatre Pieds d'Angleterre', is executed in a finer hand than the other drawings in this collection and is on continental paper. The drawing may be in Thomire's hand and if so, may have been executed through the agency in Paris of the marchand mercier Dominique Daguerre. The two other related drawings of grates may be English variants of the French original. The rough pencil sketch (E.330-1929) shows the possible arrangement of the grate with the columns standing in recesses on either side of the chinney-piece rather than as supports to the grate itself as shown in (E.370-1929). For a discussion of these drawings see Helena Hayward and Pat Kirkham, William and John Linnell, 1980.
Subjects depicted
Association
Summary
This fire furniture consists of a basket and two separate columns supporting bronze figures of Apollo and Fame and is signed by the celebrated Parisian bronzier Pierre-Philippe Thomire and dated 1788. The grate was originally commissioned through the London cabinet maker John Linnell for Uxbridge House, London, but later acquired for Powderham Castle, designed by the architect James Wyatt in the mid-1790s for the 3rd Viscount Courtenay. The grate was once framed by the marble caryatid chimney piece in the Music Room at Powderham, which was made by the English sculptor Richard Westmacott to Wyatt's designs. An inventory at Powderham, compiled in 1803, suggest however, that the grate may have been first shown in the library. It is in remarkable condition, retaining its original gilded surface, and show no signs of use as a fire grate.
Bibliographic references
  • Marian Campbell ed., "Metalwork acquisitions at the V&A 1978-88", Burlington Magazine, 1989, no.III, p. 389
  • Magnificent French Furniture and Sculpture, Christie's London, 17 June 1987 lot 28
  • Mark Girouard, "Powderham Castle, Devon, III," Country Life, 18th July 1963
  • D.H. Cohen, "Pierre-Philippe Thomire -Unterhehmer und Kunstler", Vergoldete Bronzen, 9, 1986, II, pp. 657-665
  • Saunt, Jenny, "A Gilded-Front French Grate with two Pedestals & Columns", The Journal of the Antique Metalware Society, Vol. 18, June 2010, pp. 20-31, ill. p. 20
Collection
Accession number
M.19 to B-1987

About this object record

Explore the Collections contains over a million catalogue records, and over half a million images. It is a working database that includes information compiled over the life of the museum. Some of our records may contain offensive and discriminatory language, or reflect outdated ideas, practice and analysis. We are committed to addressing these issues, and to review and update our records accordingly.

You can write to us to suggest improvements to the record.

Suggest feedback

Record createdAugust 31, 2005
Record URL
Download as: JSONIIIF Manifest