The Decorative Arts (II), Savoir-faire and the art of living
The Decorative Arts (II): Savoir-faire and the Art of Living offers an in-depth exploration of European decorative creation during the Early Modern period (16th–18th centuries), through a major selection of furniture, objets d’art, and clocks preserved in the collections of the Fondation Gandur pour l’Art. This publication follows the first volume, The Decorative Arts (I): Sculpture, Enamels, Maiolica and Tapestries (2020), which was devoted to secular and sacred Western art objects from the 12th to the 18th century.
Edited by Fabienne Fravalo, with essays by Sophie Mouquin and Caroline Heering
Ranging from goldsmithing to cabinetmaking, watchmaking to embroidery, ivory turning to marquetry, this catalogue presents a wide array of artisanal techniques which, from the Renaissance to the Enlightenment, developed alongside advances in technical and scientific knowledge. This ever-evolving excellence is reflected in objects that are as ingenious as they are refined.
The volume also seeks to present an elite art of living, which, between the 16th and 18th centuries, became increasingly centred around the domestic sphere and its embellishment. The home began to accommodate new functions, reflective of private sociability and intimate life, expressed through a diverse typology of objects and furnishings. Commodes, consoles, gaming tables, secretaries, caskets, and mantel clocks provided artisans with opportunities to demonstrate their creative ingenuity and technical virtuosity.
Under the direction of Fabienne Fravalo, Curator of the Decorative Arts Collection at the Fondation Gandur pour l’Art, the volume opens with two scholarly essays: the first by Sophie Mouquin, Senior Lecturer at the University of Lille; the second by Caroline Heering, Professor at the Université Catholique de Louvain.
Available in English and French.
5 CONTINENTS EDITIONS, MILAN
FONDATION GANDUR POUR L’ART, GENEVa
2025
