Fireplace (Chimney Piece and Mantel) Design
Medium
Classification
Department
Smithsonian Collection
Museum
Smithsonian American Art Museum
Credit
Purchased for the Museum by the Advisory Council
Accession Number
1921-6-386-3
About this artwork
Research in Progress
Art Historical Context
This 1712 print by French artist François II de Poilly (1666–1741) presents a refined design for a fireplace, complete with chimney piece and mantel. As a skilled printmaker working in early 18th-century France, de Poilly contributed to a tradition of detailed engravings that captured architectural and decorative schemes with remarkable precision, making such works valuable records of period taste. Created during the waning years of the Louis XIV era, the print reflects the era’s love of ornate interiors in which fireplaces served as grand focal points rather than mere sources of heat. Design...