Plate
This blue and white transfer-printed earthenware plate possibly made by the Staffordshire firm of Ralph Stevenson & Williams features a view of the United States Capitol Building in Washington, District of Columbia. The Capitol building was among approximately twenty-two sites included in the series selected for their patriotic appeal to American consumers. It was designed and constructed from 1793 to 1830 by Philadelphia architects William Thornton (1759–1828) and Benjamin Henry Latrobe (1764–1820) and Boston architect Charles Bulfinch (1763–1844). A popular subject for transfer-printed wares, the Capitol also appears on a platter, 14.102.65, by William Ridgway & Co. (ca. 1834–1854) and a platter, 14.102.68, by John & William Ridgway (ca. 1814–1830). The views by Stevenson & Williams and John & William Ridgway both appear to be based on a drawing by a little-known artist named H. Brown engraved by Fenner, Sears & Co. and reproduced as "Capitol of the United States, Washington" in John Howard Hinton's "The History and Topography of the United States of North America" (London, 1830 and 1832). Stevenson included the view in a series of approximately twenty-two American views with vine-leaf borders produced for the United States export market. Marked "RS&W" on the back, this piece is unusual. Most pieces from series are marked “R.S.," indicating that they were made by Stevenson acting as sole proprietor of his firm from 1810 to 1832, except for the two-year period from 1825 to 1827 when he partnered with his New York agent Aldborough Lloyd Williams. This, coupled with the fact that the engraving postdates the partnership of Stevenson & Williams, raises the possibility that the plate was actually made by Ralph Stevenson when he worked alone after 1827. This plate therefore illustrates the difficulties involved in identifying makers on the basis of marks, which were often used inconsistently and sometimes even spuriously during the early nineteenth century. The American Wing's collection contains additional pieces by Stevenson & Williams, as well as pieces by Ralph Stevenson working alone. Refer to the Dictionary for a definition of the term "transfer printing" and for information about the above-mentioned firms.
Artwork Details
- Title: Plate
- Maker: Possibly Ralph Stevenson & Williams (active ca. 1825–27)
- Date: ca. 1825–ca. 1827
- Geography: Made in Staffordshire, England
- Culture: British (American market)
- Medium: Earthenware, transfer-printed
- Dimensions: Diam. 10 in. (25.4 cm)
- Credit Line: Bequest of Mary Mandeville Johnston, from the collection of Mr. and Mrs. Edward W. S. Johnston, 1914
- Object Number: 14.102.131
- Curatorial Department: The American Wing
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Possibly Ralph Stevenson & Williams (active ca. 1825–27)
ca. 1825–ca. 1827
Ralph Stevenson & Williams (active ca. 1825–27)
ca. 1825–ca. 1827
Ralph Stevenson & Williams (active ca. 1825–27)
ca. 1825–ca. 1827
Ralph Stevenson & Williams (active ca. 1825–27)
ca. 1825–ca. 1827
Rosina Emmet (American, New York 1854–1948 New York)
ca. 1878–85
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