THE CONSTRUCTION OF THIS FIREPLACE MODEL BEGINS AROUND 1830 (AND ENDS NEARLY IN 1860) AND IT WAS STYLISTICALLY BORN FROM ITALIANISSIMENTAL RENAISSANCE (in essence, the renowned Parisian Ateliers des Arts, this model, copied it verbatim from some perhaps Florentine example...).
IN FACT, AT THAT TIME (THE NAPOLEONIC EMPIRE HAD JUST PASSED..), THE REFERENCES TO CLASSICISM WERE STRONG, AND SO THE FRENCH ARCHITECTS AND BUILDERS DECIDED TO DO AWAY WITH THOSE CURVILINEAR AND MASSIVE SHOULDERS THAT CHARACTERIZED THE FIREPLACES OF THE ITALIC CASTELLANS OF THE RENAISSANCE PERIOD, THE MOST IMPORTANT AND FRUITFUL IN EUROPEAN HISTORY IN TERMS OF ART.
THEY HAD A PROBLEM, WHICH WAS, MOREOVER, WELL SOLVED (WHAT GREAT SCRIPTS THESE FRENCH ARCHISTARS WERE!!): THEY HAD TO REDUCE IT TO THE MEASUREMENTS OF THE DWELLINGS OF THE NEW RICH, THE BOURGEOISIE OF THE MID-NINETEENTH CENTURY, WHO, THOUGH WEALTHY, COULD NOT AFFORD A CASTLE AND SO LIVED IN SMALLER APARTMENTS IN THE CITY.
THUS WAS BORN, AND IT SEEMS TO ME WELL BORN, THIS MODEL OF FIREPLACE, WHICH WAS SO SUCCESSFUL FOR THE 30 YEARS IT DOMINATED THE STYLISTIC SCENE AND IS STILL SO SUCCESSFUL TODAY.
THE ONE I PRESENT HERE IS THE MOST CLASSIC MODEL, IT IS OF PERFECT PRESERVATION, IT WAS CERTAINLY BUILT IN ITALY ACCORDING TO FRENCH (PARISIAN...) STYLISTIC CANONS, WE HAVE DISASSEMBLED IT FROM A BEAUTIFUL MID-NINETEENTH CENTURY PALACE IN PARIS AND WE OFFER IT TO YOU AT A MORE THAN ACCEPTABLE COST, A COST THAT MAY SEEM RIDICULOUS WHEN COMPARED WITH STYLISH FIREPLACES OF CURRENT PRODUCTION. COMPARE TO BELIEVE.
A FEW “TECHNICAL-PRACTICAL” CLARIFICATIONS
A) ITS AGE IS VERY CLOSE TO 1840, THIS IS TOLD TO US BY ITS “INNARDS” (WHICH ARE THE INTERNAL STRUCTURES OF THE SHOULDERS, STRUCTURES/SUPPORTS TO WHICH THE VARIOUS MARBLE PARTS WERE ATTACHED “IN PLASTER”) WHICH INNARDS ARE STILL THE FIRST IN HISTORY, IN STONE. AFTER 1840, IN FACT, FOR THE CONSTRUCTION OF THE INNARDS, THEY SWITCHED TO BRICK.
(B) THE MARBLE OF THIS MANTEL IS AN INTERESTING “WHITE CARRARA P” (NOW CALLED “WHITE JOY” AFTER THE NAME OF THE ONLY QUARRY LEFT). INTERESTING IN THAT ON ITS CLASSIC WHITE BACKGROUND (“MILKY,” AS THE OLD SCULPTORS PREFER TO CALL IT) LIGHT FREZZATURE OF A FINE GREEN TONE EMERGES, ELEGANT CAVILLATIONS THAT CAN HARDLY BE SEEN BUT THAT HAVE THEIR PART IN THE LIKING OF THIS FIREPLACE.
(C) ITS HEALTHY AND ROBUST CONSTITUTION ... IF WE THINK THAT WHEN OUR “CLASSIQUE” MANTEL WAS CARVED GARIBALDI WAS A BOY AND THE MAP OF ITALY LOOKED LIKE A HARLEQUIN COSTUME, WE CANNOT BUT APPRECIATE THE FACT THAT WE, TO THIS SPECIMEN, HAVE NOT DONE ANY RESTORATION, BUT ONLY A THOROUGH CLEANING AND AN EQUALLY THOROUGH POLISHING.
NOTES: WHICH MIRROR FITS YOUR FIREPLACE BEST?
DO YOU WANT TO MATCH YOUR FIREPLACE WITH THE RIGHT MANTELPIECE OR MIRROR? I BET WE HAVE IT! JUST TAKE A LOOK AT OUR ANTIQUE MIRRORS HERE: https://www.artisantiquefireplaces.com/39-Antique-Mirrors
