Awestruck at the sight of a Grinling Gibbons carving in a London church, David Esterly chose to dedicate his life to woodcarvingβits physical rhythms, intricate beauty, and intellectual demands. Forty years later, he is the foremost practitioner of Gibbonsβs forgotten technique, which revolutionized ornamental sculpture in the late 1600s with its spectacular cascades of flowers, fruits, and foliage.
After a disastrous fire at Henry VIIIβs Hampton Court Palace, Esterly was asked to replace the Gibbons masterpiece destroyed by the flames. It turned out to be the most challenging year in Esterlyβs life, forcing him to question his abilities and delve deeply into what it means to make a thing well. Written with a philosopherβs intellect and a poetβs grace, The Lost Carving explores the connection between creativity and physical work and illuminates the passionate pursuit of a vocation that unites head and hand and heart.
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