Pierre Gouthière: Virtuoso Gilder at the French Court

by Charlotte Vignon, Christian Baulez, Anne Forray-Carlier (Contribution by), Joseph Godla (Contribution by), Helen Jacobsen (Contribution by)

Overview

Pierre Gouthière: Virtuoso Gilder at the French Court celebrates the life of Pierre Gouthière (1732-1813), considered to be one of the best Parisian bronze chasers and gilders of the eighteenth-century. Gouthière became gilder to Louis XV in 1767, and is credited with inventing a new type of gilding that left a matte finish—dorure au mat—one of the hallmarks of his work. Although incredibly successful in his day, Gouthière died in relative obscurity and poverty; unlike some of his contemporaries his works never regained popularity after the French Revolution.

The inclusion of detailed entries and plates of forty-nine works positively attributed to Gouthière, five essays by leading experts that examine Gouthière's life, career, clientele, and gilding techniques, as well as examples of his work from American, Polish, Portuguese, French, and British collections, ensure that this beautiful volume is an invaluable new resource on Gouthière. The only other volume on this master was published in 1912, and is now long out of print.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781907804618
Publisher:	D Giles Limited
Publication date:	11/29/2016
Pages:	408
Product dimensions:	9.80(w) x 11.30(h) x 1.60(d)

About the Author

Charlotte Vignon is Curator of Decorative Arts at The Frick Collection, New York. Christian Baulez is an historian of French 18th-century decorative arts and architecture and former Chief Curator at the Château de Versailles. Anne Forray-Carlier is Chief Curator of 17th- and 18th-Century Decorative Arts at the Musée des Arts Décoratifs, Paris. Joseph Godla is Chief Conservator at The Frick Collection. Helen Jacobsen is Chief Curator at the Wallace Collection, London. Luisa Penalva is Curator of Gold, Silver, and Jewelry Collections at the Museu Nacional de Arte Antiga, Lisbon. Anna Saratowicz-Dudynska is Curator of Silver and Bronze at the Royal Castle, Warsaw. Emmanuel Sarméo is an independent scholar.

Table of Contents

Director’s Foreword
Acknowledgments
Note to the Reader

Pierre Gouthière: A Gilded Legend by Charlotte Vignon
The Life and Work of Pierre Gouthière by Christian Baulez
Gouthière’s Network of Architects and Designers by Anne Forray-Carlier
Gouthière’s Network of Craftsmen by Christian Baulez
“Twenty Fingers on Each Hand”: Pierre Gouthière’s Chasing and Gilding Techniques by Joseph Godla
Gouthière’s Legacy: Nineteenth-Century Collectors in Britain by Helen Jacobsen

Catalogue Raisonné: Silver Gilt; Vases, Incense Burners, Ewers, and Pots-Pourris; Clocks; Light Fixtures; Firedogs; Architectural Elements; Chimneypieces; Tables; Furniture Mounts; Columns and Pedestals

Catalogue Notes
Appendix 1
Appendix 2
Bibliography
Photography Credits
Index

Editorial Reviews

"An essay by Baulez, brought up-to-date with new discoveries and insights and translated into English, constitutes the core of the splendidly produced publication"—Reinier Baarsen, The Burlington Magazine

"The dazzling accompanying book, by Vignon and former chief curator at the Muse´e de Versailles Christian Baulez, is the first English monograph on Gouthière, and includes the first catalogue raisonne´ of his work compiled since 1912"—Barrymore Laurence Scherer, The Magazine Antiques

"Publiés in extenso, ils offrent une mine d’informations hors pair. Magnifiquement édité, ce livre est donc appelé à devenir un usuel pour tous ceux qui s’intéressent à Gouthière et au bronze doré"—Hervé Grandsart, Connaissance des Arts

From the Publisher