Grinling Gibbons as a Sculptor of Church Monuments–New Insights into His Work and Achievements

Grinling Gibbons is rightly recognised as one of the most important woodcarvers in the history of the decorative arts. The style and sophistication of his work is unmatched not only in England but within Europe and even today few craftsmen can emulate his work. His contributions began at a time of renewed interest in ornate decoration and the vitality of his work at Windsor, Hampton Court and country houses like Petworth established his reputation. It was widely thought at the time that if a man could carve in wood, he could carve in marble and stone, and many contemporary craftsmen could do just that. However, Gibbons had difficulty in working marble and stone and his commemorative sculpture does little to enhance his reputation, despite there being evidence that he did very little himself. His known difficulties in carving the human form also failed to enhance his reputation as a monument maker and although many sculpted monuments are attributed to Gibbons his actual contribution to the production process was limited.