HUGIJENOT ARTISTS DESIGNERS AND CRAYPSNEN IN GREAT ...

191.
CONCLUSION
It has been shown that a wide variety of }Iugtzenot artiE r 3
designers and craftsmen settled and worked in Great Britain and
Ireland, 1680-1760. It remains to determine whether any consistent
pattern can be drawn from the variety of the Huguenot artistic
contributions over this period. Was there a distinct Huguenot style,
which was maintained throughout this period? And if so, how and to
what extent did the Huguenot style influence native craftsmanship?
The style of the first generation Huguenot artists and
cra qmen was influenced by their place of origin in France. Four
fifths of these Huguenot artists and craftsmen came from the provinces,
and thus their style tended to be out of date by comparison with
the work of those who had trained in Paris, and practised at the
French court. Most of the great Huguenot silversmiths came from
the French provinces; Abraham Harache from Rouen; Peter Archambo
and Louis Mettayer from the lie de R; and David Willaume from
Metz. What is regarded as the Huguenot style in silver is therefore
based on the French provincial style of the late 17th century. As
most late 17th century plate was melted down to finance the French
wars against the Dutch, it is not possible to compare the Huguenot
silver with contemporary French metropolitan plate. It is only by
comparing the pattern books of a provincial craftsmen; Simon Gribelin
from Blois, for example, with the designs of the Court based Jean
Tijou and Daniel Marot that the contrast is revealed. The contrast
lies in the vocabulary of the ornament used, rather than in the
presentation.
Despite the contrast in degrees of sophistication, Narot's,
Tijou's and Gribelin's designs share the same quality. Their pattern
books are characterized by vigorously rendered ornament, carefully
balanced and proportioned, which even in two dimensional form
anticipates the three dimensional quality which will be inherent in
its translation into metal, stone or wood. Gribelin's designs
anticipate the subtleties of depth which will become apparent in
engraving on silver. The same substantial, yet appropriate ornament,
is to be found on the woodwork, porcelain, sculpture and decorative
painting produced by Huguenot artists and craftsmen. The uniqueness
of the Huguenot style lies in the fact that the ornament is so