Overview
Artists such as John Flaxman, Thomas Stothard, Edward Hodges Baily were among the many who designed and modelled silverware for Rundell & Bridge, the Royal Goldsmiths who served two monarchs - George III and his son the Prince Regent (later George IV). It was a period of unparalleled prosperity in Britain during which patrons, led by the colourful Prince Regent, commissioned objects of silver, silver-gilt and even gold in the finest taste. Philip Rundell and John Bridge were well placed to respond to this new fashion for opulence. Directing their workshops from 1802 were the silversmith Benjamin Smith and the designer Digby Scott; and after Paul Storr, the most celebrated English silversmith of the period, took charge in 1807, the workshop grew until it employed the talents of several hundred gifted designers, modellers, chasers and engravers. It was a successful blending of art and industry that remains unsurpassed in the decorative arts. The firm Rundell & Bridge were appointed Royal Goldsmiths, Silversmiths, Jewellers and Medallists in 1797 and held the Royal Warrant until 1830. Yet Rundell & Bridge did more than promote innovative styles; they marketed new types of tableware. Despite the threat of invasion by Napoleon, the British enthusiastically embraced not only new designs from France, such as those inspired by the surge of Egyptomania, but new customs of the tabletop. Tying in with an exhibition at Koopman Rare Art, London, the first ever to be devoted to the firm's achievement, the book shows the importance of the Prince Regent as a patron of goldsmiths and presents a fascinating portrait of London against the backdrop of the Napoleonic Wars. It features a wealth of magnificent silver and gold objects, snuff boxes, jewellery, medals and bejewelled swords from museums and private collections in the United Kingdom, United States, Canada and Australia. With a foreword by His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales, the book will be a valuable addition not only to art historical studies but also to the social and economic history of the period. Net proceeds of the sale of the book will benefit the Prince's Trust.
Full Product Details
Author: Christopher Hartop ,
Philippa Glanville ,
Charles Truman ,
David Watkin
Publisher: John Adamson Publishing Consultants
Imprint: John Adamson
Dimensions:
Width: 22.10cm
, Height: 2.50cm
, Length: 30.00cm
Weight: 1.393kg
ISBN: 9780952432234
ISBN 10: 0952432234
Pages: 168
Publication Date: 01 July 2005
Audience:
General/trade
,
General
Format: Paperback
Publisher's Status: Active
Availability: In Print
This item will be ordered in for you from one of our suppliers. Upon receipt, we will promptly dispatch it out to you. For in store availability, please contact us.
Reviews
'[M]uch-needed ...'--Silver Studies; '[W]onderfully illustrated, with well written and thought out essays by leading scholars; it brings our knowledge of these royal goldsmiths up to date.'--Spencer Marks
Author Information
Christopher Hartop's books include: The Huguenot Legacy (1996); East Anglian Silver (2004); A Noble Feast (2008); The Classical Ideal (2010), A Noble Pursuit (2010); and Norfolk Summer: Making The Go-Between (2011).
