The Loose and Airy Lightness of Flowers: Grinling Gibbons and His Carvings in Wood

A lavishly illustrated talk on the legendary 17th century wood craftsman Grinling Gibbons by art historian Justin Reay, organised by the Arts Society North Yorkshire & South Durham.In the late 1660s, the young Dutch-born Gibbons served as a journeyman carver in York. One of his rare earliest pieces, the King David panel, is on display in Fairfax House, York. It's an astonishing example of the great skill and artistry which took him to the height of his profession as King's Carver.
This talk describes Gibbons’s life and career, and discusses the techniques he used to create such a convincing illusion of reality in wood.