18th Century Fire Screens
Because the embroidered panels have often been separated from their original firescreens, the emphasis on this page is on 18th century depictions of firescreens in domestic interiors. (Hand screens are discussed on another page.)
Fire screens are often available through antique dealers, but the extant examples linked below are largely from museum collections.
Additional Resources
18th Century Material Culture: Hand & Fire Screens
Find original and reproduction 18th century fire screens on eBay
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10. Élévation d'un chassis d'écran dont la fig. 11. est le plan, A A en sont les traverses, B B les montans, & C C les piés.
Ecran. a, piece d'étoffe. b, bâti de l'écran. c, clou doré. d gland dans lequel il y a un plomb qui sert de poignée.
Cheval firescreens
Depictions in 18th century interiors:
La Toilette by François Boucher, 1742
Extant examples:
Met 64.101.1154, c. 1730-1740
Met 35.23.1, .2, c. 1736-1740
Met 1971.206.15, c. 1750-1760
Colonial Williamsburg 1936-10,1, c.1755
Met 64.101.1155, c. 1755-1760
Versailles V2024.16, 1759
V&A 1202:1 to 3-1882, c. 1770-1790
Met 41.13a–d, c. 1770-1800
Colonial Williamsburg 1939-246, c. 1775-1800
Firescreens at Versailles: OA9370 (1777-1778), V2024.48 (1779), VMB14460 (c. 1780-1785), F610C (c. 1783), GME15272 (1784), GME16833 (1787), VMB14291 (1787), VMB14307 (1787)
Met 1971.206.16, c. 1786
Pole firescreens
Depictions in 18th century interiors:
Taste in High Life (or Taste à-la-Mode) by William Hogarth, 1742
The Lady’s Last Stake by William Hogarth, 1759
Conjugal Peace, 1782
The Detection, 1785
The Dull Husband, 1789
Jean FrançoisTaste in High Life (or Taste à-la-Mode) de La Marche, 1797
Extant examples:
Colonial Williamsburg 1967-458, c. 1720-1740
Colonial Williamsburg 1967-441,B, c. 1725-1745
Colonial Williamsburg 1960-665, c. 1740
Colonial Williamsburg 1967-252, c. 1745-1765
Mount Vernon M-2469, c. 1745-1765
Colonial Williamsburg 2001-6,A, c. 1750-1775
Colonial Williamsburg 1967-441,A & Colonial Williamsburg 2001-6,B, c. 1750-1775
Colonial Williamsburg 1954-371, c. 1755-1780
Colonial Williamsburg 2003-174, c. 1760
Mount Vernon W-2182/A, c. 1760-1790
Met 10.125.422, c. 1760-1790
Met 64.101.1153, c. 1765
Colonial Williamsburg 1961-43, c. 1770 (minature)
MFA 35.1845, c. 1770-1790
Met 49.51a, b, 1771
Met 25.115.28, c. 1775
Met 1975.1.2071, last quarter of the 18th century
Met 1977.425, c. 1785-1795
Met 1986.450.1, c. 1790
