Charissa Bremer-David, with contributions by Jessica Chasen, Arlen Heginbotham, and Julie Wolfe
Vividly illustrated, this is the first comprehensive catalogue of the J. Paul Getty Museum’s celebrated collection of seventeenth- and eighteenth-century French silver.
The collection of seventeenth- and eighteenth-century French silver at the J. Paul Getty Museum is of exceptional quality and state of preservation. Each piece is remarkable for its beauty, inventive form, skillful execution, illustrious provenance, and the renown of its maker. This volume is the first complete study of these exquisite objects, with more than 250 color photographs bringing into focus extraordinary details such as minuscule makers’ marks, inscriptions, and heraldic armorials.
The publication details the formation of the Museum’s collection of French silver, several pieces of which were selected by J. Paul Getty himself, and discusses the regulations of the historic Parisian guild of gold- and silversmiths that set quality controls and consumer protections. Comprehensive entries catalogue a total of thirty-three pieces with descriptions, provenance, exhibition history, and technical information. The related commentaries shed light on the function of these objects and the roles they played in the daily lives of their prosperous owners. The book also includes maker biographies and a full bibliography.
Reflecting Getty's commitment to open content, the free online edition of this publication is available at www.getty.edu/publications/french-silver and includes 360-degree views and zoomable high-resolution photography. Also available are free PDF and EPUB downloads of the book, and JPG downloads of the main catalogue images. For readers who wish to have a bound reference copy, this paperback edition is available for sale.
Charissa Bremer-David retired in 2020 from her role as curator in the Department of Sculpture and Decorative Arts at the J. Paul Getty Museum.
“The Getty’s new French Silver catalogue, combining extensive scholarly research, new technical investigations, and explanations of contemporary cultural developments in eighteenth-century France, is a model of a decorative arts catalogue, an exceptional achievement that must have taken years to produce.”
—Anne Thackray, Silver Society of Canada Journal 2023
178 pages
8 1/2 x 11 inches
279 color illustrations and 2 tables
ISBN 978-1-60606-828-1
paperback
Getty Publications
Imprint: J. Paul Getty Museum
2023
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