Firebacks

Venus and Adonis firebacks

  1. 310

    hampton_court 10.jpg
    858 x 1196 mm
    Image subject to copyright

    Description: Arched rectangular central panel with bead edging; pictorial scene of Venus, naked and kneeling, and Adonis, standing, holding a spear in his left hand, with Cupid to the left, and a hound and a quiver of arrows below to the right; arched rectangular border with fillet edging; descending swags of fruit and seashells enclosing the central panel; inscription in an oval cartouche at the bottom; on top, a Holy Roman Imperial crown between two mirrored dolphins, heads downward.

    Notes: The scene is based on the painting (c.1635) of Venus and Adonis by Peter Paul Rubens; the initials, L8G, denote the style of border - other firebacks having the same inscription have the same border - and other borders are denoted by similar inscriptions (e.g. L6C and L7C). Von den Driesch (p.520) illustrates the same central image within an L7C border.

    Copies of this fireback are known.

    Inscription: L8G

    Manufactured: in the late-17th century in the Siegerland area of Germany.

    Current location: Hampton Court Palace, Richmond, Greater London, England.

    Museum number: 1042 (part of the Royal Collection museum group)

    Citation: Driesch, K. von den , 1990, Handbuch der Ofen-, Kamin- und Takenplatten im Rheinland (Cologne, Rheinland-Verlag).

    Citation: Hodgkinson, J. S., 2010, British Cast-Iron Firebacks of the 16th to Mid-18th Centuries (Crawley, Hodgers Books).

  2. 446

    lewes,_sussex arch soc 086a.jpg
    575 x 760 mm
    Image subject to copyright

    Description: Arched rectangular; bead edging; pictorial scene of Venus, naked and kneeling, and Adonis, standing, holding a spear in his left hand, with Cupid to the left, and a hound to the right; pomegranates on top and on each shoulder of the plate, with two symmetrical, descending serpents.

    Notes: Probably based on one of two paintings of Venus and Adonis by Peter Paul Rubens.

    Copies of this fireback are known.

    Manufactured: in the mid- to late-17th century in the Siegerland area of Germany.

    Current location: Anne of Cleves House, Southover High Street, Lewes, East Sussex, England.

    Museum number: LH000.971 (part of the Sussex Archaeological Society museum group)

    Citation: Hodgkinson, J. S., 2010, British Cast-Iron Firebacks of the 16th to Mid-18th Centuries (Crawley, Hodgers Books).

  3. 557

    pet-m-49.jpg
    750 x 1060 mm
    Image subject to copyright

    Description: Arched rectangular central panel with bead edging; pictorial scene of Venus, naked and kneeling, and Adonis, standing, holding a spear in his left hand, with Cupid to the left, and a hound and a quiver of arrows below to the right; arched rectangular border with fillet edging; at top of arch, grape bunches; at each side, a festoon of fruit suspended on a ribbon from a lion's head; at the bottom, an oval cartouche between flowers; on top, an urn from which descends a dolphin on each side of the arch.

    Notes: The scene is based on the painting (c.1635) of Venus and Adonis by Peter Paul Rubens; the same central panel is known with several different borders.

    Copies of this fireback are known.

    Manufactured: in the mid- to late-17th century in the Siegerland area of Germany.

    Current location: Petworth House, Petworth, West Sussex, England.

    Museum number: NT/PET/M/49 (part of the National Trust museum group)