Figs. 611 to 618.—Messrs. Wedgwood’s Productions. Lessore’s Wares.
Fig. 619.
The principal painter at Etruria for many years was the late gifted M. Emile Lessore, an artist of more than European reputation, who takes rank above all others in that exquisite style for which he was so famous. As M. Lessore (whom I had the privilege of knowing, and who pressed me more than once to visit him at Marlotte) and his works are so closely identified with Etruria, a few words on his career cannot but be interesting. He was born in 1805, his father being a notary, for which profession the son was at first intended. Giving up the law for Art, he entered for a short time the studio of Ingres. When twenty-six years old Lessore exhibited his first picture (“Le Frère Malade”) in the Salon at Paris. This was in 1831, and from that time until 1850 he continued to exhibit both oil
and water-colour pictures, which were always eagerly sought for and purchased at high prices. In 1851 Lessore was induced, through offers made to him by the Sèvres china manufactory, to turn his attention to china painting. He attempted to introduce a more artistic feeling at Sèvres, and succeeded notably; a pair of large vases decorated by him, which were exhibited in Paris in 1853, were purchased by the Emperor of Russia for a thousand guineas. The originality of Lessore’s work caused a division amongst the artists at Sèvres, and the partisans of the two camps were so virulently wearisome in their disputes that he eventually abandoned Sèvres and came to England, where he arrived in 1858, and was employed for a short time by Mintons, but ultimately joined Messrs. Wedgwood, who thoroughly appreciated his talents and his loyal sympathetic character. The most remarkable of his works were shown in the Exhibition of 1862, the Paris Exhibition of 1867, and at Vienna in 1873, and medals were awarded to him in all countries. The climate of England, especially Staffordshire, not suiting him he returned to France, living at Marlotte, near Fontainebleau, where he still continued his connection with the Wedgwoods, painting pieces and sending them to be fired at Etruria. There is little doubt Emile Lessore was one of the first artists in England to revolutionise the decoration of pottery, and some of his pieces are undoubtedly more artistic than is usually produced in faience; the drawing, without being laboured, is true to nature; the colouring, as a rule, is subdued and delicate, but the master hand is apparent in every touch. During the siege of Paris many of Lessore’s finest works were concealed by him in the cellars of his cottage, and afterwards preserved by Messrs. Wedgwood. He was the first to employ the freedom of the artist’s brush to the decoration of pottery, which previously to his time had been painted with the finish and stippled perfection of the miniature painter, but without the imagination and freshness of an artist’s sketch. M. Lessore died in the spring of 1876, and soon afterwards his remaining works were sold by Messrs. Wedgwood to Mr. Mortlock, by whom they were exhibited in London and disposed of.
The markets to which Messrs. Wedgwood’s goods are sent are more widely spread than perhaps will be conceived by the uninitiated, and it is not too much to say that, besides the home trade, which is very extensive, the “Wedgwood ware” of the present day is dispatched, as it used to be, to every quarter of the globe.
CHAPTER IX.
Longton—Sutherland Road Works—Market Street Works—High Street Works—Park Works—Sheridan Works—Commerce Street Works—Crown Works—Stafford Street Works—Peel Pottery—King Street Works—Chancery Lane Works—St. Mary’s Works—Commerce Street—New Town Pottery—Borough Pottery—High Street—New Street—Prince of Wales Pottery—High Street Works—Alma Works—Market Street—Victoria Works—Stafford Street—Russell Street—Mount Pleasant Works—High Street—British Anchor Works—Royal Porcelain Works—Stafford Street—St. Gregory’s Pottery—Gold Street Works—Wellington Works—St. Martin’s Lane—Heathcote Works—Green Dock Works—Chadwick Street—Baddeley—Waterloo Works—Heathcote Road Pottery—Sutherland Potteries—Church Street—Cornhill Works—Sutherland Works—St. James’s Place—Daisy Bank—Park Hall Street—Viaduct Works—Beech, King Street—Anchor Pottery—Dresden Works—Palissy Works—Fenton, Minerva Works—Victoria Works—Fenton Potteries—Fenton Pottery—Foley—Old Foley Pottery—Anchor Works—Fenton Potteries—Lane Delph Pottery—Grosvenor Works—Park Works—Foley Pottery—Foley Potteries—Foley China Works—King Street Works—Heath—Bacchus—Meir—Harrison—Martin—Miles Mason—Whieldon—Wedgwood & Harrison—Turner—Garner—Edwards—Johnson—Phillips—Bridgwood—Greatbach—Greenwood—Heathcote, &c.
Sutherland Road Works.—These works were commenced in 1862 by Messrs. Adams, Scrivener, & Co. Mr. Scrivener having a few years afterwards retired from the business, Mr. Adams was joined by Mr. Titus Hammersley, and the concern was carried on by them under the style of “Harvey Adams & Co.” until the death of Mr. Hammersley in 1875, when he was succeeded by his son Mr. George Harris Hammersley; the style of the firm remaining as before. The productions of the firm comprise china, semi-china, and fine stoneware. In earthenware—toilet and all the usual table services and numberless useful articles of the best designs and highest finish are made. In stoneware—jugs, tea-pots, and other articles are produced; in these many excellent shapes and designs have been introduced. In china—tea, breakfast, dinner, dessert, trinket, toilet, and other services; jugs of various kinds; vases, and an endless variety of ornamental and highly decorated goods, are made. The quality of the china is remarkably fine and good, and the glaze of more than average excellence. The decorations are remarkable for purity of conception, for admirable arrangement, for manipulative skill, and for the thorough and perfect artistic feeling which pervades each design. In tea and breakfast services many novel, but at the same time chastely beautiful designs, have been introduced by this firm, who have also the credit of being the first to make and introduce “moustache cups”—an invention that has become so popular as to be adopted by many other firms. These services are made by Messrs. Harvey Adams & Co. in every style, from the simple white and gold (one variety of which, with a beaded edge, is peculiarly simple and pretty) to the most richly, even gorgeously painted, gilt, enamelled, and jewelled varieties; in each of these their productions take rank with those of any other house. In some services, both tea and dessert, what may be called an ormolu decoration has been introduced with as good effect by this firm as by any other. It gives a richness and a solidity to the patterns which could not otherwise be easily obtained. The jewelling—especially the pearl borders—is admirably executed, and with marked effect. Two important features in the productions of these works—which, from first being confined to the medium quality of common china, have gradually progressed to the present time, when they rank among the highest and best in the district—are, the introduction of silver both as a ground and as a heightening, and of embossed leaf decoration of a peculiar and artistic character. In like manner with gold, the silver is introduced both dead and burnished, and forms a pleasing and marvellously rich combination with gold and colour. It is introduced on tea services in bands upon wreaths of flowers, and other decorations are painted with marked effect. One of the finest and most chastely beautiful of the ceramic productions of this or any other age or country is an open-work plate in which solid silver forms the ground for the centre. On this silver ground is painted, with all the skill that art is capable of, a group of flowers as true to nature as if pencilled by nature herself; the richness and delicacy of the colouring are “thrown up” and a finer and more exquisitely beautiful effect produced by this ground than could by any other means have been effected. The open-work rim, with its interlaced ribbon, and the whole of the subordinate decorations, are in excellent keeping and harmony with the central group.
In leaf-decoration Messrs. Harvey Adams & Co. have, with good taste, introduced “shamrock” tea and breakfast sets, which have become deservedly popular; embossed foliage dessert services; and fern and foliage tea and dessert services and vases, and other ornamental articles, all of which they have very wisely registered. These services consist of upwards of fifty arranged groups of leaves of trees and arrangements of ferns in relief, the whole of which have been modelled from specimens obtained from the gardens of his Grace the Duke of Sutherland, at Trentham Hall. These are painted both in the spring, summer, and autumnal tints, with such scrupulous nicety, and so true to nature, that it is next to impossible to fancy it is not the leaf itself that lies on the plate.