Here is a remarkable study of English woodcarvers and woodcarving from the earliest times to furniture craftsmen of the Georgian era. The book pays special attention to the role of the carver in work designed for the Crown over several hundred years. The center of Oughton's study revolves around Grinling Gibbons, one of the great stylists -- as exemplified by his work at St. Paul's Cathedral, Windsor Castle, and other historic buildings. Also included are illustrated notes on the various carving styles, reproductions of contemporary documents, and an extract from the author's major research study, Inventory of Woodcarving in the British Isles.

Published to coincide with the first ever exhibition of the work of Grinling Gibbons, this study looks at Gibbons' work from the perspective of a fellow wood carver.

Grinling Gibbons, the most celebrated woodcarver of all times, developed an extraordinary style of realistic foliage carving in limewood. He was a man of his time, born in Rotterdam to English parents, trained in the Netherlands and, as many artists and craftsmen of his generation, moved to England, where he embarked on a spectacular career working on some of England's most iconic buildings. This book, the result of extensive new research, puts Gibbons in the Anglo-Dutch context of the second half of the seventeenth century, shedding new light on his origin, and that of his style, and the work of his contemporaries in the Netherlands and Britain. The book emphasises the importance of Rotterdam and The Hague in Anglo-Dutch relationships and as leading centres for woodcarving. It also elevates the role of wood-carved decoration - ubiquitous in the period and intended to reflect the social standing and ambitions of those who commissioned it, whether it was applied in their apartments, on war ships, carriages or in churches. Last but not least, this book contributes to studies of migrant artisans and exchanges between Britain and the Netherlands - the subjects as relevant in the seventeenth century as today.

Awestruck by the sight of a Grinling Gibbons carving in a London church, David Esterly chose to dedicate his life to the art – its physical control, intricate beauty and intellectual demands. Until his death in 2019 he was the foremost practitioner of Gibbons’s forgotten technique, which revolutionised ornamental sculpture in the late 1600s. After a fire at Hampton Court Palace in 1986 destroyed much of Gibbons’s masterpiece, the job fell to David Esterly to restore his idol’s work to its former glory. It turned out to be the most challenging year in Esterly’s life, forcing him to question his abilities and delve deeply into what it means to make something well. Exploring the determination, concentration and skill that go into achieving any form of excellence, Esterly breathed life into the world of wood carving. This special collector's edition of The Lost Carving reveals an astonishing life and deftly illustrates the union of man and material necessary to create a lasting work of art.

The early-twentieth-century profusely illustrated reference on the traditional craft details woods and essential tools used and covers carving techniques and designs for specific projects

Leven en werk van de in Rotterdam geboren Engelse beeldhouwer (1648-1721) die in dienst was van de koningen Karel II en George I