The Stone Carvers: Master Craftsmen of Washington National Cathedral

Marjorie Hunt presents the lives and careers of two Italian-American master stone carvers, Roger Morigi and Vincent Palumbo, who have spent decades creating the sculptural works, such as gargoyles, grotesques, capitals, pinnacles, saints, and angels, that embellish Washington National Cathedral. Exploring the carvers' underlying aesthetic attitudes, Hunt reveals the spirit of creativity and mastery that infuses their work. She describes their backgrounds and apprenticeships in Italy, showing how memory and tradition continue to shape their art. The book records the stone-carving process, highlighting the carvers' complex body of technical knowledge---their opinions of various stones, their preferred tools for different stages of carving, and their techniques for achieving effects of light and shadow.