Lot Essay
Henry Wilson (1864-1934), a leading figure during the Arts and Crafts Movement, was aptly summed up by his contemporary C.R. Ashbee as the 'arch individualist'. Described in his obituary as the antithesis of the forthright and fiery William Morris, Wilson's calm and intellectual approach enabled him to understand the mood of the Arts and Crafts movement, which aimed to synthesise the disciplines of traditional crafts with modern day methods. Wilson combined a training in architecture, sculpture and painting with a knowledge of metal working in the manner of his mediaeval predecessors. He also lectured and wrote, and his book 'Silverwork and Jewellery, an introduction to students and workers in metal' (1912) is still popular with apprentices in this field. In the book he expresses a view that modern gem-cutting removes from a stone 'that mysterious magical quality', going on to say that 'the forms used in design should express naturally and simply the properties of the particular material employed'. Henry Wilson's originality stemmed from his ability to combine the strictest disciplines of his craft with a multitudinous variety of influences, resulting in some of the most daringly individual jewels of the period.
Much of Henry Wilson's early work was carried out in London from the office of the architect J.D. Sedding, and from his own studio at 17 Vicarage Gate, Kensington. After his marriage (1901) Wilson moved to Kent and lived in a house owned by Alma Tadema until his own, at nearby St. Mary Platt, was completed. In 1912 he spent two years working on a tomb in Venice, followed by a move to Paris where he worked closely with the bronze founders Barbedienne. The foundry executed many of his designs including doors for the Salada Tea Company in Boston, commissioned by Gerald Larkin of the Salada Tea Company, Toronto, Ontario. Wilson's last great work, the 'Golden Doors' for the Cathedral of St. John the Divine, New York has been described as a masterpiece of sculpture and casting. They were commissioned by the Metropolitan Life Insurance Company in memory of their president, Haley Fiske, and were dedicated by Bishop William T. Manning in 1936 who stated in his address 'It is a very great thing for America to possess the crowning work of this great and almost unique genius'
Much of Henry Wilson's early work was carried out in London from the office of the architect J.D. Sedding, and from his own studio at 17 Vicarage Gate, Kensington. After his marriage (1901) Wilson moved to Kent and lived in a house owned by Alma Tadema until his own, at nearby St. Mary Platt, was completed. In 1912 he spent two years working on a tomb in Venice, followed by a move to Paris where he worked closely with the bronze founders Barbedienne. The foundry executed many of his designs including doors for the Salada Tea Company in Boston, commissioned by Gerald Larkin of the Salada Tea Company, Toronto, Ontario. Wilson's last great work, the 'Golden Doors' for the Cathedral of St. John the Divine, New York has been described as a masterpiece of sculpture and casting. They were commissioned by the Metropolitan Life Insurance Company in memory of their president, Haley Fiske, and were dedicated by Bishop William T. Manning in 1936 who stated in his address 'It is a very great thing for America to possess the crowning work of this great and almost unique genius'