Pierre Gouthire: Virtuoso Gilder at the French Court

About this book

Pierre Gouthire: Virtuoso Gilder at the French Court celebrates the life of Pierre Gouthire (1732-1813) considered to be one of the best Parisian bronze chasers and gilders of the eighteenth-century. Gouthire became gilder to Louis XV in 1767 and is credited with inventing a new type of gilding that left a matte finishdorure au matone of the hallmarks of his work. Although incredibly successful in his day Gouthire died in relative obscurity and poverty; unlike some of his contemporaries his works never regained popularity after the French Revolution. The inclusion of detailed entries and plates of forty-nine works positively attributed to Gouthire five essays by leading experts that examine Gouthires life career clientele and gilding techniques as well as examples of his work from American Polish Portuguese French and British collections ensure that this beautiful volume is an invaluable new resource on Gouthire. The only other volume on this master was published in 1912 and is now long out of print.