Fireplace in the sitting room of the György Ráth Villa (from the original furnishings) - fireplace screen

A nineteenth-century fireplace surround carved from wood, partially gilt, and presumably originating from a Sicilian castle, was installed as decoration in the sitting room of György Ráth Villa. A truly superb piece even today is the fan-shaped, leather-covered fire screen (c. 1900) resting on lion’s paws and decorated with putti and Renaissance-style floral motifs.

The horizontal part, which supports the central figure, rests on three paw feet ending in acanthus leaves. A cupid sits, partly with his back, on the left of a tapering post, looking at the other cupid who stands on the right, watching the first one, and holding a burning torch crossed over its shoulders. The shape of the screen behind the two embossed figures recalls two fans, placed in front of each other. The small and large parts of the ray-like plate are covered with various alternating Renaissance flower motifs. The plain back of the screen is gilt.