A large George III steel firegrate circa 1780

Almost certainly supplied to William, 4th Earl Fitzwilliam (d. 1833), at Wentworth Woodhouse, and by descent.

Country Life, vol. LVI, 5 October 1924, p.516, fig. 9, shown in situ in the State Dining Room.

Wentworth Woodhouse and its collection was assembled by the Earls of Strafford and their descendants, the Marquesses of Rockingham and Earls of Fitzwilliam. The West Front rooms including the Van Dyck Room were redecorated for William 4th Earl Fizwilliam (d.1833) under the direction of the leading York-based architect John Carr (d.1807). This was a continuation of the work instigated by William's father, Charles 2nd Marquess of Rockingham (d.1782) whose association with Carr began in the 1760s.

The history of the house dates back to the 13th century when the land was owned by the Wentworth family. However it was Thomas Wentworth 1st Earl of Strafford, a patron of Sir Anthony Van Dyck who can be credited with the creation of  the basis for the celebrated collection at Wentworth Woodhouse.  In common with so many of England's great houses, it underwent many transformations over the years, the most significant being the addition of a Palladian front in the mid-18th century.

It has been suggested that the removable serpentine front section served the purpose of  leaving a less elaborate inner frame surrounding the basket, thus avoiding the grander façade becoming unnecessarily soiled by the burning fire.  This would allow the more elaborate front to be replaced during the summer months when not in use and the grate displayed to maximum advantage.  However it seems equally likely that the detachable section was designed simply to facilitate cleaning.

Apart from the aforementioned feature, the present  grate is exceptional in two respects. Firstly, the inner section has been engraved, albeit in a simpler fashion, with neo-classical motifs; this was normally left quite plain.  Secondly, and most notably, is its very grand scale, commensurate with the great interiors of Henry Flitcroft’s baroque masterpiece, Wentworth Woodhouse. This grate stood in the fireplace of the State Dining Room at Wentworth Woodhouse, formerly the ‘Grand Drawing Room’, in the east front.