Carving the history books

IT has been announced that The Prince of Wales will be the patron of the tercentenary celebrations of ‘Britain’s greatest carver’, Grinling Gibbons. From August 2021 to August 2022, the Grinling Gibbons Society (GGS) will host a national festival, ‘Grinling Gibbons 300: Carving a Place in History’, to celebrate his life, genius and legacy. Gibbons rose from obscurity to attain the greatest accolade, the title of King’s Carver, through his extraordinary talent and skill. He was originally commissioned by Charles II to contribute to the remodelling of Windsor Castle and was subsequently appointed Master Sculptor and Carver to the Crown by William III in 1693.

‘Grinling Gibbons is rightly revered as one of the greatest woodcarvers in the history of European sculpture,’ says Tristram Hunt, president of the GGS and director of the V&A Museum. ‘He helped to shape the aesthetic of the British Baroque and set the benchmark for craftsmanship, naturalism and technical proficiency.’ The year-long celebration of Gibbons will take place across the UK, with events and activities at museums, galleries and heritage sites. A national exhibition will launch at Bonhams on New Bond Street, London W1, on August 3. ‘It is a tremendous honour for this festival to receive the patronage of The Prince of Wales,’ says Mark Aspinall, chair of the GGS. ‘His Royal Highness brings recognition to the indelible mark Grinling Gibbons left on the cultural identity of the nation.’

Cherubs atop the sumptuous reredos by Grinling Gibbons in Trinity College Chapel, Oxford

The question of whether to reintroduce the Eurasian lynx is to be put to the public of Scotland via a consultation, according to a group of charities. It is hoped that the apex predators will help keep exploding populations of deer under control in the Scottish Highlands and conservationists believe that there is enough space to support a population of some 200 animals. It is thought that the last lynx in the UK died about 500 years ago, but, since the 1970s, the predators have been slowly reintroduced in several European countries, such as Germany, Switzerland, France, Slovenia and Croatia, among others. The consultation is being launched by a group of charities, including Trees for Life, Scotland: The Big Picture and the Vincent Wildlife Trust. ‘Reintroducing lynx would inevitably bring challenges,’ says Jenny Macpherson, science and research programme manager at the Vincent Wildlife Trust. ‘Lynx to Scotland will actively include stakeholders representing the full range of perspectives, in order to produce meaningful conclusions about the level of support or tolerance for lynx and, therefore, the likely success of any future reintroduction.’