,
Carved with figures strange and sweet,
All made out of the carver’s brain.
Samuel Coleridge—Christabel. Pt. I.
Portrait of Sir Robert Walpole, 1st Earl of Orford, and Catherine Shorter, Lady Walpole by Eccardt, 1754
frame of black and gold carved by Grinling Gibbons, c.1680
(hanging in the Blue Bedchamber at Strawberry Hill)
image from here
.
Oh that frame...
ReplyDeleteHorace Walpole (son of Sir Robert, and builder of Strawberry Hill) had a great appreciation for quality with genius behind it. I knew he had written about Gibbons, and found this quote: "There is no instance of a man before Gibbons who gave wood the loose and airy lightness of flowers, and chained together the various productions of the elements with the free disorder natural to each species."
ReplyDelete--Jim
Jim, thank you so much for sharing this-I know I will weave it into the blog soon. I am so lucky to have readers who have great knowledge and generosity.
DeleteGrilling Gibbons sprang to mind! I believe it is his work! If it could make it to Southern California......via (some great decorator)
ReplyDeleteIt could show up anywhere!
Anyone know??
Dying to know! I think so!
Penelope, indeed it is! I made note of it in parentheses just below the painting. It is exquisite!.
DeleteGibbons!! I can't imagine how the internal workings of his mind functioned.
ReplyDeleteMary