HUGIJENOT ARTISTS DESIGNERS AND CRAYPSNEN IN GREAT ...

17.
Intrigueingly some families made a point of patronizing Huguenot
craftsmen continuously from the 1680's to the 1750's. John, 2nd Duke
of Montagu, who succeeded his father in 1709, continued to patronize
Huguenot craftsmen, and from 1727 to 17kG, made an annual contribution
to the Soupe, the Huguenot charity in Spitalfields. ' The Booths, Earls
of Warrington, made a particular collection of Huguenot plate, commissioning
new pieces throughout the period. The Russells, Dukes of Bedford, whose
ancestor, Lord William Russell, executed in 1683, married Rachel
Wriothesley, daughter of Thomas, kth Earl of Southampton and the Huguenot
Rachel de Ruvigny in 1669, not only patronized Huguenot silversmiths,
craftsmen and tradesmen throughout this period, but they also gave
financial assistance to Huguenots in need.
Another patron, whose life span covers the period, is Sir Andrew
Fountaine (1676-1753), Master of the Mint, 1727-1753, vice-chamberlain to
Queen Caroline, who evidently used his position at court to the advantage
of the Huguenot refugees. In 170k, the first generation Huguenot engraver
Simon Gribelin, inscribed a copy of the revised edition of his 1682 book
of designs with the following note to Sir Andrew Fountaine,'combien
vous avez pour Agreable mes Foibles Efforts, par que vous xn'y
faites donc j'en auray (comnie de tons les Autres) tine Eternelle Reconn-
• kG
aissance..' Over thirty years later, the London Daily Post and General
Advertiser, for Thursday November 16th, reported,'Mr. Roubillac the
Statuary is carving a curious figure of a Ldy for Sir Andrew Fountaine
Knt, which we hear, will cost 30OLk7Despite the fact that this commission
closely followed Roubiliac's statue of Handel at Vauxhall Gardens,
Fountaine's patronage helped to establish Roubiliac's newly acquired
reputation. It is probable that many of the great households of the
time patronized the Huguenot craftsmen, because of the high quality
and good value of their work.
The aristocratic Huguenots also patronized their own kind.
Frederick, Duke of Schomberg hired furniture for his house in St.James
in 1689 from the Huguenot upholsterer Francis Lapierre, and his soa had the
k8
walls painted with murals by the Huguenot painter Pierre Berchet.
In 1735, the La Touche family commissioned the plaster ceilang of the
family bank in Castle Street, Dublin, which represents Venus wounded by
Love and is based on an engraving by Antoine Watteau. The identity of
the craftsman empoyed is not known, but he may well have been of
Huguenot descent. C P1.9). Mercier, Roubiliac, and David Le Marchand