Sculpture and the Decorative in Britain and Europe

The rich case studies offered in this volume cumulatively propose a new framework for the study of three-dimensional representation, from figure to filigree. Its authors interrogate the unstable boundaries and porous relationships between sculptures and decorative objects, attending to contexts as varied as the architectural, the ceremonial, the national, the nautical, and the conceptual. Sculpture and the Decorative is the rare anthology that offers a broad chronological range—from the musical metaphors of 17th century altarpieces to institutional critique’s reliance on the found object—in combination with a lively conversation among authors about the received terms through which art histories are narrated. * David J. Getsy, Goldabelle McComb Finn Distinguished Professor of Art History, School of the Art Institute of Chicago, USA * This timely volume insists on entanglement of sculpture and the decorative arts, too long separated from one another in Eurocentric histories of art. Spanning the period from the seventeenth century to the present, these essays challenge assumptions about the decorative arts’ secondary role in relation to sculpture. Alongside stimulating theoretical and historical revisions of their intertwined histories, the book proposes vital new investigations of how formal debates intersect with urgent questions of gender, race, and nationalism. * Jo Applin, Reader in the History of Art, The Courtauld Institute of Art, UK * Sculpture and decoration have a fraught relationship, often framed in terms of opposition: ornament is a condition that the sculptor struggles to transcend. This ground-breaking book shows the inadequacy of this view. Through a series of well-chosen case studies, it demonstrates that from the perspective of practitioners and the general public, these two artistic categories often combine, sometimes merging into new syntheses. Taken together, these accounts show how non-hierarchical approaches can open up new insights into the discipline of art history. * Glenn Adamson, author of Fewer Better Things: The Hidden Wisdom of Objects * Timely and provocative, this volume brings together two artistic categories that the history of art has, for too long, treated apart. Arguing for a renewed re-evaluation of “high” and “low” within their specific historic and geographic settings, Sculpture and the Decorative is well-positioned to persuasively revise the canon and inform future art historical thinking. It is a must read for all students of visual and material culture, art history, design history, and architecture and a big challenge to any prior assumptions regarding disciplinary distinctions. * Anca I. Lasc, Associate Professor of Design History, History of Art & Design Department, Pratt Institute, USA *