This talk looks at Grinling Gibbons, one of the greatest artists of the English Baroque. Born in Rotterdam to English parents, he moved to England in 1667 and went on to have a spectacular career as a woodcarver and a sculptor, largely owing to his unprecedented talent and entrepreneurial skills. He is credited with introducing realistic carving in lime to England and he championed the exuberant style that can be admired in some of England’s most iconic buildings, such as St Paul’s Cathedral, Hampton Court and Windsor Castle.
This was broadcast in June 2021 just before the tercentenary of Gibbons’s death in August of that year providing an opportunity to review his work and legacy. This lecture will focused on his work in country houses and royal palaces and explains some popular misconceptions about him in light of new scholarship.
At the time of the lecture Ada de Wit was Curator of Works of Art and Sculpture at the Wallace Collection
You can watch the recording here
