foliage and lion's heads
Fireplace Back
1850-1857 (made)
1850-1857 (made)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
This is a model for a fireplace back, probably designed by Stevens for Messrs Henry E. Hoole & Co Ltd.
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.
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 | |
| Title | foliage and lion's heads (named collection) |
| Materials and techniques | Plaster cast |
| Brief description | Sketch model, for a fireplace back, plaster cast, foliage and lions' heads, probably designed by Alfred Stevens for Messrs Hoole & Co, English, ca. 1850-1857 |
| Physical description | From the ends of a moulded base spring symmetrical leafy branches terminating in conventional lions' heads. In the centre is a scrolling foliage bearing a swag and terminating in a shell. |
| Dimensions |
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| Object history | Purchased from Mrs Ada Gamble, 12 Stanlake Villas, Shepherd's Bush, London, together with a range of other objects by Stevens, for £175. Mrs Gamble was the widow of James Gamble, a pupil of Stevens, who had a large collection of designs and drawings by his former master. |
| Historical context | This is a model for a fireplace back, probably designed by Stevens for Messrs Henry E. Hoole & Co Ltd. |
| Subjects depicted | |
| Summary | This is a model for a fireplace back, probably designed by Stevens for Messrs Henry E. Hoole & Co Ltd. 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 references |
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| Collection | |
| Accession number | A.44-1911 |
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| Record created | June 24, 2009 |
| Record URL |
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