Informations from ph Design

Fireplaces

Short history of fireplaces

In today´s world of air-conditioned, central heated rooms a fireplace
resembles cultivated domesticity. But isn´t it also the facination of fire,
which, after all, is the origin of human culture?

The typical fireplace of today was unknown to ancient cultures. The
fireplace developed in medieval Europe, primarily in the splendid castles of
the French aristocracy. The fireplaces were imposing edifices, with huge
hoods and walkable hearths. During the 16th century the fireplaces developed
further. The model "a la romaine" includes draughts integrated in the wall
which reduced the fireplaces size so considerably that even small rooms
could be furnished with them.

The fireplace has always been the decorative centerpiece of a room. They
were constructed in the most representative rooms of the manor; decorated as
splendidly with the family coat of arms as the owner could afford it, for
they indicated the owners social status.

In France, fireplaces were most popular during the 17th and 18th century. In
the highly refined life styles of the aristocracy as well as the bourgeoisie
of the "ancient regime", the fireplace became a center of social life. One
can not imagine the "galant age", nor the literary circles of the "precieux"
of the 17th century, nor the readings of the philosophers of the
enlightenment in the 18th century without the ambience of people cuddled
next to a cosy fireplace.

Fireplaces were usually placed directly into the preliminary designs of the
architect. The architect then decided which materials to use and about the
general appearance of the fireplace, depending upon location and position in
the important rooms of the manor as well as social standing of the future
owner. The coat of arms disappeared from the mantel piece, to be part of the
cast iron hearth. Instead, the materials became increasingly valuable.

In the first half of the 17th century sandstone was the principle building
material of the fireplace, more or less richly fashioned. The age of Louis
XIV introduced marbel. When marbel or porphyry were not sufficently
representative, one added fittings of gilded bronze.

The most beautiful fireplaces were created in France during the 17th and
18th century, primarily in Paris. The best craftsmen of Holland, Germany and
Italy gathered there to join their French colleagues to develop the craft to
a new peak. Parisian fireplaces decorated palaces all over Europe, where one
can admire them today from Copenhagen in Northern Denmark to Madrid in the
Southern Spain. Great architects were often the designers - but the craft
was also strictly seperated by guild law, for example the "marbriers en
batiments" and the "bronziers-doureurs"; these garanteed the success of the
trade.

In conclusion, a brief word on the decorative ambience of the fireplace of
"yesterday". A mirror was always placed above the fireplace flanked by the
light sources of the "Appliques". A clock - a chronometer - was placed on
the mantel as a symbol of technical progress, along with several more lamps,
pieces of porcellan and "nippes". On the hearth, decorative but practicle
fenders prevented glowing logs from rolling out the fireplace. Fireplace
tools matching other accessories in style and quality leaned against the
mantel.