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| A William Cripps silver tea caddy, 1750, from the permanent collections at the V & A. This is January's illustration from our 2013 desk calendar, painted in watercolor. |
Each year, our bindery produces a desk calendar celebrating beautiful antique objets d'art from around the world. January's illustration, which I've painted in watercolor, features a sterling silver tea caddy by the English silversmith William Cripps. Born sometime in the early eighteenth century, he was apprenticed to David Willaume for seven years between 1731 and 1738. Willaume was the son of a master goldsmith, and enjoyed the patronage of the wealthiest clients in England from the
latter part of the reign of William III to the end of George I's reign. With such an illustrious apprenticeship, Cripps became an accomplished master metalsmith himself, working in the Rococo style for his appreciative and widespread clientele. William Cripps died in 1767, leaving behind a treasury of stunningly crafted silver pieces.
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| A silver epergne by William Cripps, 1754, from the Rienzi collection |
True to its Rococo nature, the tea caddy I chose for our 2013 calendar is a tangle of disparate design motifs. At the foot is a fabulously cast dragon or dolphin engulfed in ocean waves. The tea caddy's equator is encircled by deeply chased cartouches featuring bunches of fruit and vines, and the beautifully formed lid, shown below but not included in my painting, is topped by a delicate butterfly.
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| A closer view of William Cripps' tea caddy from 1750. |
For the Parvum Opus calendar, I always choose motifs that I imagine would sit beautifully on an elegant desk, either in reality or, as is the case here, on a dream desk. Painting these exquisite objects allows me the great pleasure of a good long meditation, careful study, and deep admiration for the maker's art. To compliment the masterful Late Baroque silverwork in Cripps' caddy, I've conjured a simple posy of begonias and creeping vines from my garden. I wonder if Mr. Cripps would approve?!
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| Our 2013 desk calendar in situ. The Stafforshire milk jug was featured in last year's calendar and is a favorite piece of mine... More images are available at www.parvumopus.com |
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| A more humble but very charming porringer by William Cripps, 1763. |
Hello Erika:
ReplyDeleteWe are absolutely certain that Mr. Cripps would raise no objection at all to the addition of a few garden flowers to his wonderfully worked and intricately fashioned tea caddy.
Indeed, your beautiful executed watercolour with all of its lovely detailing only serves to enhance the original. What is so appealing about this post is that we have the opportunity to examine this treasure both through the eyes of an eighteenth century silversmith and through your own.
Dear Jane and Lance,
DeleteThank you for your kind words. I'm glad you think Mr. Cripps would approve of my imagined repurposing of his beautiful piece! It's interesting that you brought up the idea of two points of view here: I always consider the painting/study of antique works of art to be a conversation with the maker, and a celebration of their inspiring legacy. Most enjoyable!
Thanks again and best regards,
Erika
Dear Erika - silver is a passion of mine, and something that I have collected over the years.
ReplyDeleteWhat a talented painter you are. The combination of William Cripps silver tea caddy along with your flowers is a perfect marriage. I love the way you have managed to reflect the soft sheen of the silver work, not an easy thing to do - a lovely post.
Dear Rosemary,
DeleteYou are very kind--thank you! I also have a love of silver both as a collector and because I happen to have a graduate degree in metalsmithing. Unfortunately, I've had to give it up due to a wrist injury. But, I have to say, having worked with the tools and materials gives me an even deeper sense of appreciation of the master silversmith's art, one that is sadly very uncommon these days.
I'm so pleased you enjoyed this painting: doing them affords me the opportunity to spend time looking very very closely at some of the most beautifully made silver in the world-- a joy!
Warm regards,
Erika
Hello Erika, My first impression of the caddy with the flowers was that it was Victorian, but as I focused in, I saw that very Baroque base, and then the boldness of the chased details on the side. The flowers you painted in are lovely, and complement their container perfectly. Thank you for introducing us to this fine silversmith.
ReplyDelete--Road to Parnassus
Dear Parnassus,
ReplyDeleteThank you for your kind words. I think you're right in connecting the Victorian and Late Baroque styles here-- they both embodied a "more is more" aesthetic, don't you think?! I usually prefer a more consistent, measured style of ornament, but in small doses, as with this small piece of silver, it's fantastic. I wonder if one could draw conclusions on a global scale about the cultures who produce this type of highly ornamented work...
Thanks again and best regards,
Erika
Dear Erika,
ReplyDeleteYour painting is masterful — you have absolutely captured the essence of silver.
Your reply to Rosemary made me think of a pottery class that I took years ago. I didn't stay working with clay, but I became so much more aware of what makes better pottery, like a mug with a three- or four-finger handle, rather than one too small.
I'm sorry about the wrist — something tells me that with your attention to detail, you would have given William Cripps a run for the money.
Dear Mark,
ReplyDeleteThank you for your very kind words-- a huge compliment, coming from you! It really is true, about the understanding that comes from the experience of using tools and materials: I've often thought that should be a part of every art history major's curriculum, as so often those writing about the arts are so obviously uninformed... It would also be a sure way to attract and keep arts patrons-- like you and I know, once you have the experience of creating something, it affects everything you see from then on, and increases one's appreciation of handmade things. Much to your point about cup handles, I have have no tolerance for teapots that don't pour! You'd be surprised at how many "sculptural" teapots there are out there--the horror!
Thanks again and warm regards from Michigan,
Erika
Thanks for this post, Erika and the wonderful watercolour. It fits so well with the calendar, you're very talented.
ReplyDeleteDear Lito,
ReplyDeleteThank you for your kind words! I'm so pleased that you enjoyed this post-- I hope to write more about the extraordinary pieces that I've been studying for our new calendar...so many decorative arts treasures, so little time!
Warm regards,
Erika