An Irish antique, George III period Statuary, Sienna and Portoro marble chimneypiece

The inverted breakfront shelf carved with egg and dart mouldings, is above a frieze of Nero Portoro marble, centred by a well carved tablet. The tablet depicts Mercury (the god of eloquence and wit) acting as a tutor to Cupid. Mercury is seated, watching patiently as his son struggles with an elementary reading task, before Venus seated in her chariot.

The egg and dart moulded aperture surround, is flanked by pilaster jambs with projecting free standing Sienna marble columns, capped by highly carved ionic capitals.

Irish, circa 1765

The tablet showing Venus, Mercury and Cupid is a classical subject best known from Correggio’s 16th century painting known as ‘The School of Love’.

A similar chimneypiece is recorded at Abbey Leix, Co. Laois, (see Jeremy Musson, ‘Abbey Leix, Co. Laois’, Country Life, July 24, 2003, p. 53). Further related chimneypieces sold Bonhams, London, 20 November 2103, lot 74 and Sotheby’s London 22 November 2006, lot 208. The chimneypieces follow the pattern of those originally supplied to William Crosby, 2nd Lord Brandon, later Earl of Glandore for his house on St.Stephens Green in Dublin, circa 1765. The Crosby chimneypieces are illustrated in Country Life, 4th August 1950, p.395. The Crosby chimneypiece closest to the one offered here was later purchased by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II while Duchess of Edinburgh around 1948 when Clarence House was being redecorated. The Crosby chimneypiece is now situated in the Lancaster Room at Clarence House, London and is illustrated in J.Cornforth, Queen Elizabeth, The Queen Mother at Clarence House, London 1996, p.75, fig.73.