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  • The Freemasons' Monthly Magazine
  • Nov. 15, 1862
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  • NEW MATERIALS FOR THE LIFE OF GRINLING GIBBONS.
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The Freemasons' Monthly Magazine, Nov. 15, 1862: Page 3

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New Materials For The Life Of Grinling Gibbons.

Closet , £ 60 . For carving 2 picture-frames set in the Queen's Chapel , £ 2 lis . Carving and Cutting the -1 white marble panels of y Pedestal of his M ; ij ' [ Charles II . ' s ] Statue on Horseback , £ ' 100 . And for cutting and carving the mouldings and ornaments for the Pedestal of the large Dial in the North Terrace , and for 17 foot of white marble for the two end panels of v Pedestal of His Maj '» Statue on Horseback " , £ 16 . In all as by ¦ 1 bills , £ 182 Is . "—Works at Windsor , 1 st Oct ., 16 / 8 , to

30 th Sept ., 1080 . "Grinling Gibbons , carver , for carving work done and laid upon 28 seats and stalls carved with fruit , flowers , palms , laurels , pelicans , pigeons ; 5 foot of cornice that lias two members , enriched with leaves between each seat ; 20 foot of framing to every seat , according to contract , £ 518 . More to him- for carving the six vases with thistles , roses , and two hoys , laurels , palmsand other ornamentsin the front and upon the top of

, , the King's Seat , with drapery , fruit , flowers , crootesses , stars , roses , and several other ornaments of carving about the altar , pews , and other places in and about the King ' s Chapel , he finding timber and workmanship according to contract , £ 498 od . — £ 1016 5 d . "—Works at Windsor , 1 st Oct ., 1680 , to 30 th Sept .,

1682 . _ " Grinling Gibbons , carver , for carving work done round the wainscot in Saint George ' s Hall round the inside of the pedestal panels to the cornice over the panels ; for carving 141 feet 5 inches of great leaf cornice upon the pedestal ; 118 foot 6 inches of swelling moulding round the five doors in the Hall , for carving 226 foot 3 inches of moulding iu the upper moulding of the rail going up the stairs into the King's Closet in the

Chapel , the panel in front of the stairs , the garter and festoons about the two Compass doors , the two Georges , the upper and lower rails on both sides , the panels and mouldings at the Throne in Sfc . George's Hall , with several other ornaments belonging to the said Trone , £ 328 16 * . lid . "—Works at Windsor , 1 st Oct ., 16 S 2 , to 33 th Sept ., 1681 . " Grinling Gibbons , carver , for carving several frames over

the chimneys , picture-frames , and altarpieces , in the King ' s and Queen ' s Chapel , y Queen ' s old Bedchamber and Dressing Rooms , and several other lodgings , £ 96 19 s . Od . "— -Works at AVindsor , 1 st Oct ., 1681 , to 30 th Sept ., 1688 . " Grinling Gibbons , carver , for carving two foliage panels for the Confession chair in the King's Chapel , 10 s . And for carving a model for the founder to cast the copper pipes that convey tbe water into the Queens bathing cisterns , 10 s . —50 s . " —Works at AVindsor , 1 st Oct ., 1686 , to 25 th Sept ., 1688 .

" To Grinling Gibbons , carver ot her Majesty ' s works at AVindsor Castle , for his allowance of £ 100 per ami . for looking , cleansing , and repairing the said carved works for half a year ended Xmas , 1681 , — £ 50 . And for ten years' allow at y said rate ended Micas , 1701 allowed by warr of y" Lords Commiss * - of the Treasury dated y 1 of December , 1 G 91 , which were confirmed and directed to be executed by y ° said late Lords Commiss ™ y « 12 th of April 1695— £ 1000 . —In both £ 1050 . "—

, , , Roberts's Acct . of Windsor from April , 1 GS 8 , to 30 th Sept ., 1702 . " Grinling Gibbons , carver , for carving y hollow of y cornice over y" marble chiinney piece in the Queen's New Closet by y Gallery , mending and new making some pieces that were lost of y - carving in y" Queen's Room ; mending and altering the carving in y ° Queen ' s Closet , in the Long Gallery , and making new pieces , and for other carved works by him done as by two

bills of •}¦ " particulars appear , £ 5 lis . < kl . " Eoberts's , & c . [ same service and time ] . " Grinling Gibbons , carver , for carving a chimney piece in lime tree with fruit , flowers , and birds , iu y ° Queen's Dressing Room ; carving six frames ; carving a code's head for y " Duchess of Marlborough's side board , and a snake's head for a basin at y ' Queen ' s back stairs ; for carving a plum for a glass in her 'Majesty ' s Dressing Room , and other workes , & c . by three bills , £ 39 19 * " lOd . " AVorks at Windsor , 1702-7 .

Gibbons says Walpole " had several disciples and workmen . " He mentions Seldon and Watton , and to these I now add a third and hitherto unknown assistant : — " Grinling Gibbous and Henry Phillips , carvers , for severall sorts of carved works hy them performed [ at Whitehall ] upon the Chimney-pieces , Pedestalls , and picture frames of the King's

great and little Bedchambers and Presence , his Ma ties Closet , Musicke Room , Eating Room , Withdrawing Room , Bedchamber , and Gallery , and in our rooms at the Duchess of Portsmouth's Lodgings , £ 25 Ids . "

New Materials For The Life Of Grinling Gibbons.

' : The Crown Accounts contain a further joint payment to them of £ 514 17 * . Sd . for works at Windsor . My extract is , unfortunately , imperfect . The historical entry touching King James II ., to which I have referred as new aud unknown to Lord Macaulay , runs as follows : — " To Grinling Gibbons , Master Carver , for taking down the

Marble Altar Piece , with tho Columns , Ornaments , and 1 'igures thereto belonging , in the late King . lames the Second ' s Chapel at Whitehall , and loading the same into barges , and delivery thereof at Hampton Court , according to contract , £ 130 . More to him for carving cornishes , mouldings , and picture frames for architrave frese , subbase , and other carver ' s work hy him done in and aboufc the said building , £ 520 7 s . id . "—Works at Hampton Court 1 st April 1691 to Slsfc March 1 C 96 .

, , , , Who , after reading this , will look on the altar-piece at Hampton Court Palace without recalling ( forced as it were upon him ) an instructive trace of historical , associations ? That ill-suited altar-piece cost King James II . three Kingdoms , placed his son-in-law , " the hero William" and his two daughterson the

, , throne of England , and was a primary cause that James died in exile at St . Germains . Gibbons survived his wife between nine and ten months , the register of Sfc . Paul's Covent Garden , recording her burial on the 30 th November , 1719 , and that of Gibbons himself on the 10 th August

, 1720 . Of their children—nine or ten in number —I can learn nothing but their names and the dates of baptism and burial of each in their father ' s and their own parish Church of St . Paul ' s , Covent Garden PEXEB CmTN-ns-anAsr .

Importance Of Detail In Architecture.

IMPORTANCE OF DETAIL IN ARCHITECTURE .

In treating of our subject , we shall touch upon the arts generally , and try to discover some of the causes of success aud failure attending the practice of them . We shall endeavour to show thafc what applies to one , will , without much modification , apply with equal force to another , and we trust that our drift , if at first obscure , will in the end be appreciated and apparent fco all . As

the premises of our arguments will be generally admitted facts , our conclusions , we hope , will in consequence he souud . Architectural detail is a term broad as ifc is significant ; by his thorough appreciation and knowledge of ifc must au architect test his claim to consideration and fame . Before commencing practice , he must have formedin

, his own mind , a set of rules for its governance , and these rules must have been based upon well-known and admitted laws in connection with the line arts ; for one art is so mixed aud interwoven with another , that a thorough knowledge of one can never be gained unless fche whole

of the others are more or less understood . This now is allowed more readily by the professors o £ the art under consideration , than by those of painting aud sculpture ; yet all who have studied the matter , know how many failures might have been avoided , and how much ground gained , had each been better acquainted with the other , and we shall not be going- too far in

averring that this rule applies most forcibly to architecture , the home or resting place of its sisters . Not that it should be subservient to them , but that upon thenentrance into its portals , a chord of harmony should be struck that should echo until Time ' s ruthless hand had stilled vibrations which could only cease wifch existence . For the waves of light which strike upon the eye fill the

soul with quite as much deli ght , from reflection of form and colour , as the grandest melody . A building , a picture , a piece of sculpture , or music is termed a composition , as each is composed of many parts , and according to fche skill displayed iu the distribution of

“The Freemasons' Monthly Magazine: 1862-11-15, Page 3” Masonic Periodicals Online, Library and Museum of Freemasonry, 22 June 2025, django:8000/periodicals/mmr/issues/mmr_15111862/page/3/.
  • List
  • Grid
Title Category Page
ADMISSION OF STRANGERS. Article 1
NEW MATERIALS FOR THE LIFE OF GRINLING GIBBONS. Article 2
IMPORTANCE OF DETAIL IN ARCHITECTURE. Article 3
ARCHITECTURAL PROGRESS.* Article 5
THE NEW SYSTEM OF LIGHTING THEATRES IN PARIS. Article 6
BRO. FREDERICK LEDGER. Article 7
Poetry. Article 8
THE GOLDEN SUNSET. Article 8
MASONIC NOTES AND QUERIES. Article 8
CORRESPONDENCE. Article 9
PRIVATE LODGE SEALS, Article 10
INITIATIONS AND JOININGS. Article 10
KNIGHTS TEMPLAR. Article 10
PAST MASTERS. Article 10
THE MASONIC MIRROR. Article 11
METROPOLITAN. Article 11
PROVINCIAL. Article 12
SCOTLAND. Article 16
KNIGHTS TEMPLAR. Article 17
MARK MASONRY. Article 17
Obituary. Article 17
PRINCESS'S THEATRE. Article 18
THE WEEK. Article 18
TO CORRESPONDENTS. Article 20
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Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.

New Materials For The Life Of Grinling Gibbons.

Closet , £ 60 . For carving 2 picture-frames set in the Queen's Chapel , £ 2 lis . Carving and Cutting the -1 white marble panels of y Pedestal of his M ; ij ' [ Charles II . ' s ] Statue on Horseback , £ ' 100 . And for cutting and carving the mouldings and ornaments for the Pedestal of the large Dial in the North Terrace , and for 17 foot of white marble for the two end panels of v Pedestal of His Maj '» Statue on Horseback " , £ 16 . In all as by ¦ 1 bills , £ 182 Is . "—Works at Windsor , 1 st Oct ., 16 / 8 , to

30 th Sept ., 1080 . "Grinling Gibbons , carver , for carving work done and laid upon 28 seats and stalls carved with fruit , flowers , palms , laurels , pelicans , pigeons ; 5 foot of cornice that lias two members , enriched with leaves between each seat ; 20 foot of framing to every seat , according to contract , £ 518 . More to him- for carving the six vases with thistles , roses , and two hoys , laurels , palmsand other ornamentsin the front and upon the top of

, , the King's Seat , with drapery , fruit , flowers , crootesses , stars , roses , and several other ornaments of carving about the altar , pews , and other places in and about the King ' s Chapel , he finding timber and workmanship according to contract , £ 498 od . — £ 1016 5 d . "—Works at Windsor , 1 st Oct ., 1680 , to 30 th Sept .,

1682 . _ " Grinling Gibbons , carver , for carving work done round the wainscot in Saint George ' s Hall round the inside of the pedestal panels to the cornice over the panels ; for carving 141 feet 5 inches of great leaf cornice upon the pedestal ; 118 foot 6 inches of swelling moulding round the five doors in the Hall , for carving 226 foot 3 inches of moulding iu the upper moulding of the rail going up the stairs into the King's Closet in the

Chapel , the panel in front of the stairs , the garter and festoons about the two Compass doors , the two Georges , the upper and lower rails on both sides , the panels and mouldings at the Throne in Sfc . George's Hall , with several other ornaments belonging to the said Trone , £ 328 16 * . lid . "—Works at Windsor , 1 st Oct ., 16 S 2 , to 33 th Sept ., 1681 . " Grinling Gibbons , carver , for carving several frames over

the chimneys , picture-frames , and altarpieces , in the King ' s and Queen ' s Chapel , y Queen ' s old Bedchamber and Dressing Rooms , and several other lodgings , £ 96 19 s . Od . "— -Works at AVindsor , 1 st Oct ., 1681 , to 30 th Sept ., 1688 . " Grinling Gibbons , carver , for carving two foliage panels for the Confession chair in the King's Chapel , 10 s . And for carving a model for the founder to cast the copper pipes that convey tbe water into the Queens bathing cisterns , 10 s . —50 s . " —Works at AVindsor , 1 st Oct ., 1686 , to 25 th Sept ., 1688 .

" To Grinling Gibbons , carver ot her Majesty ' s works at AVindsor Castle , for his allowance of £ 100 per ami . for looking , cleansing , and repairing the said carved works for half a year ended Xmas , 1681 , — £ 50 . And for ten years' allow at y said rate ended Micas , 1701 allowed by warr of y" Lords Commiss * - of the Treasury dated y 1 of December , 1 G 91 , which were confirmed and directed to be executed by y ° said late Lords Commiss ™ y « 12 th of April 1695— £ 1000 . —In both £ 1050 . "—

, , , Roberts's Acct . of Windsor from April , 1 GS 8 , to 30 th Sept ., 1702 . " Grinling Gibbons , carver , for carving y hollow of y cornice over y" marble chiinney piece in the Queen's New Closet by y Gallery , mending and new making some pieces that were lost of y - carving in y" Queen's Room ; mending and altering the carving in y ° Queen ' s Closet , in the Long Gallery , and making new pieces , and for other carved works by him done as by two

bills of •}¦ " particulars appear , £ 5 lis . < kl . " Eoberts's , & c . [ same service and time ] . " Grinling Gibbons , carver , for carving a chimney piece in lime tree with fruit , flowers , and birds , iu y ° Queen's Dressing Room ; carving six frames ; carving a code's head for y " Duchess of Marlborough's side board , and a snake's head for a basin at y ' Queen ' s back stairs ; for carving a plum for a glass in her 'Majesty ' s Dressing Room , and other workes , & c . by three bills , £ 39 19 * " lOd . " AVorks at Windsor , 1702-7 .

Gibbons says Walpole " had several disciples and workmen . " He mentions Seldon and Watton , and to these I now add a third and hitherto unknown assistant : — " Grinling Gibbous and Henry Phillips , carvers , for severall sorts of carved works hy them performed [ at Whitehall ] upon the Chimney-pieces , Pedestalls , and picture frames of the King's

great and little Bedchambers and Presence , his Ma ties Closet , Musicke Room , Eating Room , Withdrawing Room , Bedchamber , and Gallery , and in our rooms at the Duchess of Portsmouth's Lodgings , £ 25 Ids . "

New Materials For The Life Of Grinling Gibbons.

' : The Crown Accounts contain a further joint payment to them of £ 514 17 * . Sd . for works at Windsor . My extract is , unfortunately , imperfect . The historical entry touching King James II ., to which I have referred as new aud unknown to Lord Macaulay , runs as follows : — " To Grinling Gibbons , Master Carver , for taking down the

Marble Altar Piece , with tho Columns , Ornaments , and 1 'igures thereto belonging , in the late King . lames the Second ' s Chapel at Whitehall , and loading the same into barges , and delivery thereof at Hampton Court , according to contract , £ 130 . More to him for carving cornishes , mouldings , and picture frames for architrave frese , subbase , and other carver ' s work hy him done in and aboufc the said building , £ 520 7 s . id . "—Works at Hampton Court 1 st April 1691 to Slsfc March 1 C 96 .

, , , , Who , after reading this , will look on the altar-piece at Hampton Court Palace without recalling ( forced as it were upon him ) an instructive trace of historical , associations ? That ill-suited altar-piece cost King James II . three Kingdoms , placed his son-in-law , " the hero William" and his two daughterson the

, , throne of England , and was a primary cause that James died in exile at St . Germains . Gibbons survived his wife between nine and ten months , the register of Sfc . Paul's Covent Garden , recording her burial on the 30 th November , 1719 , and that of Gibbons himself on the 10 th August

, 1720 . Of their children—nine or ten in number —I can learn nothing but their names and the dates of baptism and burial of each in their father ' s and their own parish Church of St . Paul ' s , Covent Garden PEXEB CmTN-ns-anAsr .

Importance Of Detail In Architecture.

IMPORTANCE OF DETAIL IN ARCHITECTURE .

In treating of our subject , we shall touch upon the arts generally , and try to discover some of the causes of success aud failure attending the practice of them . We shall endeavour to show thafc what applies to one , will , without much modification , apply with equal force to another , and we trust that our drift , if at first obscure , will in the end be appreciated and apparent fco all . As

the premises of our arguments will be generally admitted facts , our conclusions , we hope , will in consequence he souud . Architectural detail is a term broad as ifc is significant ; by his thorough appreciation and knowledge of ifc must au architect test his claim to consideration and fame . Before commencing practice , he must have formedin

, his own mind , a set of rules for its governance , and these rules must have been based upon well-known and admitted laws in connection with the line arts ; for one art is so mixed aud interwoven with another , that a thorough knowledge of one can never be gained unless fche whole

of the others are more or less understood . This now is allowed more readily by the professors o £ the art under consideration , than by those of painting aud sculpture ; yet all who have studied the matter , know how many failures might have been avoided , and how much ground gained , had each been better acquainted with the other , and we shall not be going- too far in

averring that this rule applies most forcibly to architecture , the home or resting place of its sisters . Not that it should be subservient to them , but that upon thenentrance into its portals , a chord of harmony should be struck that should echo until Time ' s ruthless hand had stilled vibrations which could only cease wifch existence . For the waves of light which strike upon the eye fill the

soul with quite as much deli ght , from reflection of form and colour , as the grandest melody . A building , a picture , a piece of sculpture , or music is termed a composition , as each is composed of many parts , and according to fche skill displayed iu the distribution of

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