Design of a fireplace

Art Historical Context

This etching, created in 1756 by Giovanni Battista Brustolon after a design associated with Pellegrino Tibaldi, captures an elaborate fireplace intended as both functional architecture and decorative ornament. Brustolon, an accomplished 18th-century Venetian printmaker, worked in the medium of etching to translate architectural ideas into widely reproducible images. Tibaldi, active in the preceding century as a Mannerist painter and architect, supplied the inventive composition that Brustolon rendered with fine linear detail. Such ornamental prints played a vital role in disseminating architectural and decorative trends across Europe during the Enlightenment. Fireplaces of this period often served as focal points in grand interiors, blending sculptural elements with symbolic motifs. By documenting these designs on paper, artists like Brustolon enabled patrons, craftsmen, and fellow designers to study and adapt sophisticated forms without needing direct access to the original structures. Now part of the Metropolitan Museum’s Elisha Whittelsey Collection, the work exemplifies the enduring appeal of architectural prints. Measuring roughly 15 7/8 by 9 7/16 inches, the trimmed sheet preserves a refined balance between technical precision and artistic flourish, inviting viewers to appreciate both the craftsmanship of the etching process and the imaginative vision behind 18th-century interior design.

About the Artist

Giovanni Battista Brustolon|Pellegrino Tibaldi · 1712–1796

Giovanni Battista Brustolon (1712–1796) was an Italian printmaker from Belluno who became one of the most accomplished reproductive engravers of 18th-century Venice. Born in 1712, Brustolon specialized in a sophisticated combination of etching and engraving techniques that allowed him to create prints of exceptional tonal richness and detail. Employed by Venice's leading publishers, he dedicated m...