Foreword

Although small in size, the J. Paul Getty Museum’s collection of seventeenth- and eighteenth-century French silver enjoys international renown for the exceptional quality and prestigious provenance of many of its objects. Proportionally little French silver from this period survives due to episodic melting downs during periods of austerity and upheaval, including the French Revolution. The extraordinary quality and richness of the Getty’s holdings reflect the discerning taste of those who built the collection, as well as their astute approach to seizing opportunities presented by the art market. While the Museum’s founder, J. Paul Getty (1892–1976), collected mostly British silver