New Book | French Silver in the J. Paul Getty Museum

Posted in books by Editor on July 12, 2023

From the Getty:

Charissa Bremer-David, with contributions by Jessica Chasen, Arlen Heginbotham, and Julie Wolfe, French Silver in the J. Paul Getty Museum (Los Angeles: J. Paul Getty Museum, 2023), 178 pages, ISBN: 978-1606068281, $55, with digital copies available free.

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 here, with 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.
Jessica Chasen is an associate objects conservator at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art. Previously, she was an assistant conservator in Decorative Arts and Sculpture Conservation at the J. Paul Getty Museum and in Science at the Getty Conservation Institute.
Arlen Heginbotham is conservator of decorative arts and sculpture at the J. Paul Getty Museum.
Julie Wolfe is conservator of decorative arts and sculpture at the J. Paul Getty Museum.

c o n t e n t s

Foreword by Timothy Potts
Acknowledgments

Introduction: J. Paul Getty as a Silver Collector and the Formation of the Museum’s French Silver Collection
Note to the Reader I: Stamps and Marks
Note to the Reader II: Historic Units of Measure and Currency

Catalogue
1 Water Fountain (Fontaine), transformed from a Water Flagon (Buire), with Technical Summary by Jessica Chasen
2 Lidded Bowl (Écuelle couverte)
3 Pair of Tureens, Liners, and Stands (Paire de terrines, doublures et plateaux)
4 Pair of Decorative Bronzes: Sugar Casters in the Form of Cane Field Laborers (Sucriers à poudre en forme d’ouvriers des champs de canne)
5 Two Sugar Casters (Deux sucriers à poudre)
6 Pair of Lidded Tureens, Liners, and Stands (Paire de pots à oille couverts, doublures et plateaux)
7 Tray for Lidded Beakers (Gantière pour gobelets couverts)
8 La Machine d’Argent, or Centerpiece for a Table (Surtout de table)
9 Sauceboat on Stand (Saucière sur support)
10 Two Girandoles (Deux girandoles)