Cup and Saucer
This black and white transfer-printed earthenware "creamware" cup and its accompanying saucer, 45.35.31, made by the Staffordshire firm of Ralph Hall & Son feature identical portraits of George Washington (1732–1799). The cup also features a portrait of General Lafayette (1757–1834) on its opposite side. The same portraits also appear on a mug, 64.84, bearing the printed mark of the firm. As an American Revolutionary War hero and the nation's first president, Washington was a popular patriotic subject for export wares designed specifically for the United States market. Equally popular as a Revolutionary War hero who fought for the Americans, Lafayette was also famous for the historic year-long visit he paid to the United States in 1824 as the "Nation's Guest." Hall & Son's portrait of Washington was probably based on a painting by American artist Gilbert Stuart (1755–1828), one of the leading portrait painters of his day in England and America. Lafayette's portrait was based on a work by French history painter Ary Scheffer (1795–1858) engraved by French engraver Cyprien Jacquemin (active 1836–1852). Another pair of portraits of the two heroes decorate an unattributed plate, 42.149.9, in the American Wing’s collection. Washington's portrait also appears on two plates, 98.1.65 and 14.102.26, by a competitor of Hall & Son, Enoch Wood & Sons (1818–1846), and a pitcher 1980.499.2, by an unknown maker. The collection also contains original works by Stuart. Refer to the Dictionary for definitions of the terms "creamware" and “transfer printing" and for information about Hall & Son.
Artwork Details
- Title: Cup and Saucer
- Maker: Ralph Hall & Son (active 1836–1841)
- Date: ca. 1836–ca. 1841
- Geography: Made in Staffordshire, Stoke-on-Trent, England
- Culture: British (American market)
- Medium: Earthenware, transfer-printed
- Dimensions: Cup: H. 1 5/8 in. (4.1 cm)
Saucer: Diam. 4 1/2 in. (11.4 cm) - Credit Line: Bequest of Helen Hay Whitney, 1944
- Object Number: 45.35.30, .31
- Curatorial Department: The American Wing
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Ralph Hall & Son (active 1836–1841)
ca. 1836–ca. 1841
Enoch Wood & Sons (British, active Burslem, 1818–46)
ca. 1841–ca. 1846
Ralph Stevenson & Williams (active ca. 1825–27)
ca. 1825–ca. 1827
William Adams & Sons (British, active ca. 1819–present)
ca. 1830–ca. 1864
E. Challinor & Co. (active 1845–1862)
ca. 1850
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