But then they had little else to do than carve their nuts (qpj).
Sorry, I posted to ALL before. I am guessing the answer is no since I got no reply?
> That doesn't answer my question.
Yes it does.
Soz Fixrbabe, I'm not familiar with him. Of course, there were many excellent sculptors in the centuries prior to concrete & plastics. Quite unusual to have a stone carver who was celebrated for woodcarving too: the skill set (and tools) don't have massive amounts of overlap.
What more do you know about him?
None better than Jeff Koons!
I like his cheery vulgarity. He is the Donald McGill of his time.
I think of him and his ilk as manufacturers of pricey designer label goods, like Gucci handbags.
I don't think he was celebrated for woodcarving, I think that might have been something he did for fun or for a friend. He was primarily a stonecarver, perhaps nearly exclusively.
When he was flush with money he was apparently some party, eccentric and fun. When money was tight he could be a nasty drunk. He knocked my great grandmum around a bit I am afraid, until one of the kids threatened him with bodily harm if it happened again.
I'll get some more history from my cousin who lives in Ireland tomorrow if I can get him on Skype. Perhaps he can tell me where he mostly worked and other information. I'd love to know more about the family over there and I hope to come over within a year.