A George III painted pine chimneypiece of concave form, last quarter 18th century, in the manner of Robert Adam,

Acquired from Apter-Fredericks Ltd., 2016.

This exceptionally fine concave chimneypiece relates to the output of Scottish architect-designer Robert Adam (1728–1792) and the neoclassical style with which he is so firmly associated. There are however no extant drawings by Adam for this or an equivalent chimneypiece making it impossible to rule out other key proponents of neoclassical design, such as Adam’s great rival, James Wyatt (1746-1813). The concave form indicates the present chimneypiece was intended to be set into an apse, a devise employed frequently by Adam and Wyatt, whilst the portraits of Christ and Mary inset into the jambs in place of classical cameo, are an intriguing addition and suggest the original patron was a devout Christian.