The Lost Carving by David Esterly

The Lost Carving by David Esterly

Awestruck at the sight of a Grinling Gibbons carving in a London church, David Esterly chose to dedicate his life to woodcarving--its physical rhythms, intricate beauty, and intellectual demands. Forty years later, he is the foremost practitioner of Gibbons's forgotten technique, which revolutionized ornamental sculpture in the late 1600s with its spectacular cascades of flowers, fruits, and foliage.

After a disastrous fire at Henry VIII's Hampton Court Palace, Esterly was asked to replace the Gibbons masterpiece destroyed by the flames. It turned out to be the most challenging year in Esterly's life, forcing him to question his abilities and delve deeply into what it means to make a thing well. Written with a philosopher's intellect and a poet's grace, The Lost Carving explores the connection between creativity and physical work and illuminates the passionate pursuit of a vocation that unites head and hand and heart.

Grinling Gibbons & the Art of Carving was written by David Esterly, who also produced a Gibbons exhibition at the Victoria and Albert Museum in 1998. Since the 1970s, he has worked as a professional limewood carver and has been featured in publications such as The New York Times, The New Yorker, and The Financial Times. He has contributed to a number of publications, including The Times Literary Supplement and Home & Garden. He currently resides in upstate New York.