Grinling Gibbons and the Art of Carving

Grinling Gibbons (1648–1721), the greatest of decorative woodcarvers, is seen here through the eyes of a fellow carver, American artist David Esterly. Gibbons’s flamboyant cascades of lifelike blossoms, fruits, foliage, birds, and fish dominated English interiors of the late 17th century, in palaces, churches, and great country houses. Esterly’s own experience in limewood foliage carving gives him unprecedented insight into Gibbons’s methods. Unique photographs illustrate techniques, while spectacular interior shots show the carvings in their original settings.