Design for a Fireplace 1721 - 1781

This is Sir Henry Cheere’s Design for a Fireplace, an ink and graphite drawing on paper, made sometime in the 18th century. As a businessperson who specialized in marble carving, Cheere’s design work was part of a larger production process. The design gives us insight into the larger fireplace, and the skilled labor required. Note the fine lines that suggest the texture of the marble. The symmetrical composition, featuring classical figures and motifs, speaks to the prevailing aesthetic tastes of the time. These would have been hand carved, either by Cheere himself, or more likely by skilled workers in his employ. It's important to consider the social context of objects like this. Fireplaces were central features of elite homes, symbolizing wealth and status. Cheere’s design catered to the demands of the market, but also relied on the work of artisans whose individual contributions are often overshadowed. In this drawing, we see the beginning of that labor, and the making of a class-based society.