Eighteenth-Century English Silver from the Collection

Drawn from the Museum's permanent collection, this exhibition presents some 30 pieces of silver by such important eighteenth-century English silversmiths as David Willaume and Paul de Lamerie. It also includes examples of the major eighteenth-century styles, from the simple forms of the Queen Anne style in the early years of the century, to the exuberant shapes and decoration of the Rococo style at mid-century, to the refinement of the antique as represented by the Neoclassical style at century's end. This installation is the first in a newly renovated gallery devoted to European decorative arts, made possible by a grant from the Museum's Women's Committee.