Grinling Gibbons (1648-1721) is the most celebrated carver in British history. His closely observed depictions of full-bodied natural forms, executed in hyperreal detail, captivated audiences of his own time as much as they captivate audiences today.
As part of the year-long Gibbons tercentenary celebrations of 2021/22, the V&A is hosting a two-day conference to explore the story of Gibbons but also to investigate broader themes around the subject of carving in late seventeenth- and early eighteenth-century Britain and Europe. International experts will present the latest research on Gibbons, exploring themes of materials, production and design in the Anglo Dutch world, 1600 to 1800.

Conference Schedule:
Day One, Friday 24th June 2022:
10.00 – 10.30 Registration
10.30 Welcome and Introduction

Session One: Introducing Mr Gibbons
10.40 Ada de Wit: Gibbons’s Dutch Roots and Early Career
11.10 David Luard: Development of a Style
11.40 Alan Lamb: An Extension of his Hand: Gibbons's Technique and Workshop Practice
12.10 Discussion
12.25 Lunch

Session Two: Processes and Commissions
14.00 Welcome back
14.05 Frances Sands: Grinling Gibbons as a Master of Two Dimensions
14.35 Gordon Higgott: Grinling Gibbons and the Choir of St Paul’s Cathedral
15.05 Discussion
15.20 Refreshments

Session Three: Wood and stone
15.50 Kira d’Alburquerque: Gibbons’s Stone Monuments and Bronze Sculptures
16.20 Lee Prosser: The Transition from Wood to Stone: Gibbons's Work for the Crown after 1706
16.50 Discussion
17.05 End of Day One

Day Two, Saturday 25th June 2022:
10.00 - 10.30 Registration
10.30 Welcome:
10.35 Screening of V&A film: How it was Made: Grinling Gibbons’s Cravat

Session One: Investigating Mr Gibbons
10.45 Nick Humphrey: ‘Even unto deception’ – Re-examining Gibbons’s Cravat
11.05 Jonathan Taveres and Lisa Akerman: Retracing the Master’s Gouge: Recovering the Art Institute of Chicago’s Grinling Gibbons Overmantel
11.45 Sandra Rossi and Maria Cristina Gigli: Two Masterpieces by Grinling Gibbons: Notes on Restoration Work
12.15 Discussion
12.30 Lunch

Session Two: Gibbons from other Perspectives
14.00 Welcome back
14.05 Ada de Wit: Floating splendour: Dutch and English Ship Carving, 1650-1700
14.35 Lauren R. Cannady: Gibbons, Naturally
15.05 Discussion
15.20 Refreshments

Session Three: Beyond Gibbons
15.50 Wendy Frère: In the Shadow of Grinling Gibbons: Arnold Quellinus and his stay in Britain
(1678-1686)
16.20 Tessa Murdoch: Carvers at Court: Grinling Gibbons’s Huguenot Contemporaries
16.50 Discussion
17.05 Conference ends