Collection of Ten Wood Carvings from the Altar Piece by Grinling Gibbons In St Paul’s Cathedral, London
A Curious and Interesting Collection of Ten Wood Carvings from the Altar Piece by
Grinling Gibbons In St Paul’s Cathedral, London
Now contained in a glass case with a label reading: ‘Genuine Grinling Gibbons Carvings’ sold with a wood cross made from pieces of stained glass from St Paul’s, an inscription to the reverse reading ‘St Paul’s Cathedral 1941-2 War Damage’, a church wardens pipe found under the floor, a piece of shrapnel from the cathedral roof, and an oyster fossil found in the stone St Paul’s
The carvings Late 17th century
Size: case: 53.5cm wide, 32.5cm deep, 8cm high – 21 ins wide, 12¾ ins deep, 3 ins high
Grinling Gibbons In St Paul’s Cathedral, London
Now contained in a glass case with a label reading: ‘Genuine Grinling Gibbons Carvings’ sold with a wood cross made from pieces of stained glass from St Paul’s, an inscription to the reverse reading ‘St Paul’s Cathedral 1941-2 War Damage’, a church wardens pipe found under the floor, a piece of shrapnel from the cathedral roof, and an oyster fossil found in the stone St Paul’s
The carvings Late 17th century
Size: case: 53.5cm wide, 32.5cm deep, 8cm high – 21 ins wide, 12¾ ins deep, 3 ins high
Grinling Gibbons (1648-1721) was an outstanding wood carver who by 1680 had been presented to Charles II and made ‘The King’s Carver’. Although he also worked in marble, stone and bronze; Vertue says that ‘he was neither well skilled or practised in marble or bronze for which work he employed the best artists he could procure’.
However, his wood carving was so fine that it was said a pot of carved flowers above his house in London would tremble from the motion of passing coaches. He was employed by Sir Christopher Wren to work on St Paul’s cathedral and he was responsible for the wood work on the choir stalls, choir screen and organ case, as well as an altar piece which was bomb damaged during the blitz in the second world war, and from which these surviving fragments have come.
However, his wood carving was so fine that it was said a pot of carved flowers above his house in London would tremble from the motion of passing coaches. He was employed by Sir Christopher Wren to work on St Paul’s cathedral and he was responsible for the wood work on the choir stalls, choir screen and organ case, as well as an altar piece which was bomb damaged during the blitz in the second world war, and from which these surviving fragments have come.
Collection of Ten Wood Carvings from the Altar Piece by Grinling Gibbons In St Paul’s Cathedral, London
SOLD
