2-734-647 - Heritage Art/Heritage Images

Mantel, c. 1730. The design of this mantel's consoles (scroll-shaped brackets) with heads of boys can be traced back to Inigo Jones (1573-1652), the first British follower of the Italian architect Andrea Palladio (1508-1580), but it seems certainly to be the work of one of his 18th-century disciples, probably William Kent (1685-1748). The mantel is reported to have come from Hamilton Palace, in Scotland. The Duke of Hamilton purchased four mantels from the famous English Palladian house, Wanstead, when it was pulled down in 1822. Colen Campbell (1676-1729) was the architect of this house, but William Kent completed its decorations and made it one of the most magnificent houses of its time.