Charles chips in to support the ‘Michelangelo of wood’
THE Prince of Wales is hoping to inject a new lease of life into the dwindling art of wood carving after becoming patron of the 300th anniversary celebration of Grinling Gibbons, the greatest wood carver in British history.
The Prince has long championed traditional craftsmanship, warning it is among the “life-enhancing, timeless opportunities” that could be lost to future generations.
His genuine passion for heritage crafts makes him “uniquely qualified” for the patronage of the Grinling Gibbons Tercentenary, which will span a year from August.
The Prince also embodies a connection with the Crown that Gibbons enjoyed throughout his career, having risen from obscurity to be commissioned by Charles II, James II and William III.
The Prince, 72, hopes the celebrations, which will include a national exhibition, debates and lectures, will become a source of inspiration for new generations of carvers and sculptors.
“The Prince is a great supporter of conservation heritage skills and it will hopefully encourage people to get involved,” a source close to him said.
The Prince’s Foundation, offers a broad range of courses in heritage craft skills, typically enrolling around 50 students a year on courses featuring wood carving at Dumfries House, Ayrshire.
The Prince has described the pursuit of craft as “a marvellous way for somebody to realise their true potential as a human being”.
Gibbons, hailed “the “Michelangelo of wood,” was born in Rotterdam to English parents in April 1648.
He moved to England around 1667, settling first in York and then Deptford, east London, where his career flourished at a time of political uncertainty.
The restoration of the monarchy in 1660 and the Great Fire of London in 1666 provided huge opportunities for craftsmen and his work is said to offer a unique window into a turbulent age.
Introduced to King Charles II, he was given his first royal commission in 1675, when hired to produce decorative carving for Windsor Castle’s dining room, elaborate cascades of lobsters, crabs, bird and fish that remain today.
The Carved Room at Petworth is Gibbons’s crowning achievement, with intricate wood panelling commissioned by Charles Seymour, 6th Duke of Somerset, in the early 1690s.
Simon Sadinsky, executive director at the Prince’s Foundation, said: “We hope the patronage of Grinling Gibbons Society can help build further awareness of the need for younger generations to learn and practise stonemasonry, woodcarving and similar crafts.”