A Very Rare Mid 18th Century English Rococo Chimneypiece in White Statuary Marble and Jasper of the Highest Quality

An imposing very refined Rococo fireplace in the manner of the renowned architect Sir Robert Taylor. Fielded panels on the frieze are delineated by elongated S scrolls, centred by a Rococo cartouche. Foliage extends at either side, terminating in C-scrolls, from which a cascade of acanthus leaves continues down the panelled jambs.

The design of this chimneypiece is very unusual, as it represents a short period in the history of English architecture, which lasted around a decade, when the fashion for the pure Rococo style briefly flourished following the well-established Palladianism.

The architect Robert Taylor, considered at the time one of the most successful architects of his generation, was one of the major exponents of this trend. He trained with Sir Henry Cheere, and received important commissions during his career such as being appointed surveyor and architect to the Bank of England. It was during the 1750s that Taylor embraced the Rococo fashion, and the chimneypieces are exemplary products of this phase of his career. Much of Taylor’s work suffered demolition and wartime bombing during the past 250 years, so the testament of his achievements is rare.

Taylor designed a similar chimneypiece for Barlaston Hall in Staffordshire, where the main difference lays in the presence of a shelf surmounting the serpentine frieze.