London No. 3

The cover of The Mirror of Literature, Amusement and Instruction (no. 969, vol. xxxiv, 21 September 1839) shows a full illustration of "The baptismal font in the Church of St. James, Westminster", as the caption notes, while the article following on p. 186 reads: "This beautiful specimen of art is from the chisel of Gribelin [sic] Gibbons". It is sculptured in white marble and is between four and five feet in height; the circumference at the top of the basin os about six feet. The shaft which supports it represents the tree of life, with the serpent twining round it, and offering the fatal apple to Eve, who, together with Adam, are reclining against it: these figures, which are most delicately sculptured, are about eighteen inches in height. On the basin are sculptured three Scriptural subjects, in basso-relievo; viz, St. John baptizing our Saviour, the baptizing of the Eunuch by St. Philip, and the Ark of Noah, with the dove bearing the olive-branch [...] There seems formerly to have been a pipe passing down the shaft from the interior, secured by a plug, in order to carry off the water. This font had earlier a suspended cover, ornamented with foliage, and surmounted by the figure of an angel, in the act of flying; above which, on the chain which suspended it, were a group of four cherubs" [NB: there is a footnote related to the cover: "This cover is said to have been stolen about thirty years ago; but, however that may be, it was subsequently hung up as a kind of sign, at a spirit-shop, in the immediate neighbourhood of the church.-- Brailey's Londoniana, [1829], vol. 2, 281"] [NB: the font cover of the sister font at Parham House is different from the one described above [cf. Index entry fro Parham House]] . Described in Cox (1907) as a stone font said to be similar to the wooden one at Parker House [aka Parham House], Surrey, and executed by the same master, Grinling Gibbons. Bond (1908) describes it as one in "a marvelous series of classical fonts"; "a fine font of white marble, the work of the sculptor, Gibbons"; "the Renaissance font [...] represents the Tree of Knowledge, round which the Serpent twines , offering the apple to Eve, a large statue of whom, together with the one of Adam, stands on the floor". The Phaidon guide to G.B. & Ireland (1985: 405) describes it as "a font with Adam and Eve and the Three Wise Men" [cf. Blatch below]. Tyrrell-Green (1928) compares it to the wooden font at Parham House/Parker House in Sussex. In Bradley & Pevsner (2003) with date 1686. In Blatch (1995): "This Grinling Gibbons feature is sculptured in white marble. The shaft represents the Tree of Life with a serpent coiled around it. Figures of Adam and Eve stand on either side. Round the bowl are three bas-reliefs -- the Ark of Noah with the dove bearing an olive-branch, the Baptism of Christ and St. Philip's Baptism of the Eunuch."