Fireboard

Used for food preparation and warmth, the hearth was the focal point of many eighteenth- and nineteenth-century American homes. When not in use during the summer months, the fireplace was often covered and sealed with a panel known as a fireboard. These practical objects were often elaborately decorated with flowering vines, vegetable motifs, stylized landscapes, and town centers. Here the unidentified artist rendered each leaf of the weeping willow trees with lyrical brushstrokes suggesting movement. Weeping willows were traditional symbols of grief and mourning. The red and green floral garland around the fireboard’s border was likely painted using a stencil design. Two slits at the bottom of the wood panel allowed for andirons to fit into the fireplace. The background is painted a rich mustard color. While the maker of this fireboard remains unidentified, several early American artists are known to have made ornamental fireboards including Winthrop Chandler, Michele Felice Corné, Edward Hicks, and Rufus Porter.