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Mantelpiece

Mantelpiece
ca. 1911 (made)
Artist/Maker
Place of origin

The marble mantelpiece from the dining room at Dorchester House for which this is probably a model, was also transferred to this Museum from the Tate Gallery in 1975.
A sculptor, designer and painter, Alfred Stevens (1817/18-1875) rejected contemporary distinctions between fine art and design. From 1850 to 1857 he was chief designer to Hoole & Co., Sheffield, where he produced award-winning designs for metalwork, majolica, terracotta ornaments and chimney-pieces. Perhaps his two greatest works were the decorations for the dining-room at Dorchester House, London (about 1856), for which he made countless drawings inspired by the Italian High Renaissance style, in particular the work of Michelangelo and the monument to the Duke of Wellington for St Paul's Cathedral, London, which was completed after his death. The two allegorical groups from this monument made a lasting impact on the New Sculpture movement.
The influence of the Italian Renaissance is evident in much of Steven's work, and is perhaps best reflected in the Wellington monument.


Object details

Categories
Object type
Parts
This object consists of 14 parts.

  • Fireplace
  • Fireplace
  • Fireplace
  • Fireplace
  • Fireplace
  • Fireplace
  • Fireplace
  • Fireplace
  • Fireplace
  • Fireplace
  • Fireplace
  • Fireplace
  • Fireplace
  • Fireplace
TitleMantelpiece (named collection)
Materials and techniques
Plaster and wood
Brief description
Mantelpiece, model, in plaster and wood, after Alfred Stevens, England, ca. 1911
Dimensions
  • Height: 193cm
  • Width: 72cm
  • Depth: 64cm
  • Weight: 250kg
Credit line
Presented by Art Fund
Object history
Presented to the Tate Gallery by Alfred Stevens memorial Committee in 1911. Transferred from the Tate in 1975.
Summary
The marble mantelpiece from the dining room at Dorchester House for which this is probably a model, was also transferred to this Museum from the Tate Gallery in 1975.
A sculptor, designer and painter, Alfred Stevens (1817/18-1875) rejected contemporary distinctions between fine art and design. From 1850 to 1857 he was chief designer to Hoole & Co., Sheffield, where he produced award-winning designs for metalwork, majolica, terracotta ornaments and chimney-pieces. Perhaps his two greatest works were the decorations for the dining-room at Dorchester House, London (about 1856), for which he made countless drawings inspired by the Italian High Renaissance style, in particular the work of Michelangelo and the monument to the Duke of Wellington for St Paul's Cathedral, London, which was completed after his death. The two allegorical groups from this monument made a lasting impact on the New Sculpture movement.
The influence of the Italian Renaissance is evident in much of Steven's work, and is perhaps best reflected in the Wellington monument.
Bibliographic reference
Bilbey, Diane and Trusted, Marjorie. British Sculpture 1470-2000. A Concise Catalogue of the Collection at the Victoria and Albert Museum. London: Victoria and Albert Museum, 2002, p. 393 cat. no. 628
Collection
Accession number
A.29:1 to 14-1975

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Record createdJune 24, 2009
Record URL
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