Design for a Fireplace and Mirror 1841 - 1884

This is Charles Hindley and Sons' "Design for a Fireplace and Mirror," a pencil drawing made in the late 19th or early 20th century. Notice the garland of foliage crowning the mirror, and the stylized acanthus leaves flanking the sides, a decorative motif that has traversed millennia. Originating in ancient Greece, the acanthus leaf symbolized endurance and immortality, often adorning temples and monuments. This symbol evolved through Roman classicism and into the Renaissance, becoming a staple of Western art and architecture. Consider how this classical motif has persisted and adapted, reflecting an enduring human fascination with nature and permanence. Its recurrence speaks to our collective memory, a subconscious echo of past eras, revived and reinterpreted in this fireplace design.