An Outstanding Mid-18th Century Fireplace in Statuary and Sienna Marbles

With a tiered moulded shelf, a frieze with stopped finger flutes and the inground veneered in Convent Sienna marble, supported on console jambs. In 1731 Isaac Ware shows a design very similar to this chimneypiece in his ‘Designs of Inigo Jones’, attributing it to William Kent. Kent himself most probably look at classical inspirations for his design, such as Sebastiano Serlio’s Five Books of Architecture, and in particular Serlio’s composite chimneypiece. This style remained popular throughout the 18th century, being adopted by a number of Georgian architects for various illustrious projects. One example is at Wentworth Woodhouse, dating to the mid-18th century Palladian period of the house.