Festoon mantlepiece

Alfred Stevens (1817 - 1875)

Dorset County Museum

1857 - 1859

Stevens was not only an accomplished designer but also a painter and sculptor who moved successfully from high art to industrial design. He was an anguished artist whose pedantic nature would not allow him to release a piece of work until he believed his vision had been realised. The result is a limited legacy of extremely high quality. From 1857 to 1860, Stevens was employed by the Coalbrookdale Company, responsible for pioneering work in the use of iron, to design objects for manufacture. The Festoon Mantelpiece, a successful example of the coming together of artist and manufacturer, is a magnificent piece of artistry. Industrially produced, it successfully epitomises the spirit of the age when modern manufactured goods were given false histories through the use of a traditional iconographic language.

• Artists Include:
• Coalbrookdale Company

• Medium: cast iron
• Dimensions: 134 x 165 cm
• Art Fund Grant: £1750 ( Total: £2,800)
• ArtFunded in: 1996
• Vendor: Joanna Barnes Fine Art

Provenance

Sotheby's salerooms; bought by Joanna Barnes Fine Art.

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