Roubiliac & the Eighteenth–Century Monument – Sculpture as Theatre - Hardcover

Bindman, David

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0300063334 ISBN 13: 9780300063332

Publisher: Yale University Press, 1995

Synopsis

Louis Francois Roubiliac, the most compelling sculptor in eighteenth-century Britain, was responsible for many complex and dramatic monuments that can be seen in Westminster Abbey and churches throughout the country. This book is not only the first extended treatment of the artist since 1928 but is also an exploration of tomb sculpture in the context of the period. The first section, written by David Bindman, discusses the reasons for the commissioning of tomb sculpture, ideas of death and the afterlife, the setting of the tomb, the themes that govern its imagery, and the negotiations between sculptor and patron. The second section, written by Malcolm Baker, examines in detail the processes involved in the design and making of the monuments. Through an analysis of the monuments themselves, the surviving models, and a range of documentary evidence, Baker considers Roubiliac's technical procedures and compares them to those of other sculptors in Britain and on the continent. The volume ends with a full catalogue raisonne of Roubiliac's known monuments. Each commission is discussed in detail, with full accounts of contemporary documentation, inscriptions, physical construction, and related models. By examining the particular social and religious conditions of the time it becomes possible to account not only for the distinctive features of Roubiliac's work and practice but also for how such theatrical works came to be accepted and admired. The book is fully illustrated, all the major works having been newly photographed to make visible details that are impossible to see under normal viewing conditions.

About this title

From the Back Cover:

Louis Francois Roubiliac was one of the most compelling sculptors to work in Britain in the eighteenth century, and has long been considered one of the most important. Many of his greatest commissions were monuments, located in Westminster Abbey and in churches throughout the country. The first comprehensive study of Roubiliac since 1928, this innovative book looks at his work within a broad cultural framework and explores tomb sculpture in the context of the period. David Bindman begins the volume with a discussion of the reasons for, as well as the expectations associated with, the commissioning of funereal sculpture. Discussing ideas of death and the afterlife, the setting of the tomb, and the fictions governing its imagery, he then considers Roubiliac's monuments with particular reference to the negotiations with patrons which contributed to their final form. In the second part of the book, Malcolm Baker examines the design and making of the monuments, analysing documentary evidence, surviving models and the construction of the monuments themselves, and relates Roubiliac's procedures to contemporary sculptural practice. Concluding with a complete catalogue of all Roubiliac's known monuments (written by Malcolm Baker with additional research by Tesssa Mordoch and David Bindman) and wonderfully enhanced by the inclusion of many specially commissioned photographs, this is a scholarly and fascinating portrait of Roubiliac's achievements and history.

Synopsis:

This is a study of the 18th-century sculptor Louis Francois Roubiliac. His most important work takes the form of monuments seen in Westminster Abbey and in churches throughout the country. The book examines his style in the light of the social and religious conditions of his time.

About this edition

• Publisher: Yale University Press
• Publication date: 1995
• ISBN 10: 0300063334
• ISBN 13: 9780300063332
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 422