Fireplace wall paneling from the John Hewlett House. Culture: American. Dimensions: Panel: 9 ft. 3/4 in. x 17 ft. 3 in.. Maker: Probably John Hewlett. Date: 1740-60.
This fireplace wall paneling is from the John Hewlett House on Long Island. It is a rural interpretation of high-style design; the eighteenth-century principles of symmetry and proportion derived from Renaissance architectural theory have not been strictly observed. The arrangement of the fireplace wall is asymmetrical, and the capitals and entablature above the pilasters do not rest on a horizontal support and thus appear to be suspended over the fireplace. The blue of the woodwork is based on traces of original paint.