Lot 159
ELLEN WELBY (1851-1936) FOR MINTONS
AESTHETIC MOVEMENT PORTRAIT CHARGER, 1886
Auction: The Art of the Tile : The Michael Blood Collection | Wed 15th October from 10am
Description
painted and glazed earthenware, inscribed AD 1886, painted verso E. WELBY/ 1886, impressed MINTON'S with date mark for 1885
Dimensions
43cm diameter
Provenance
The Michael Blood Collection, see lot 1 for more details
Footnote
Ellen Welby was a London-based painter known for genre scenes and floral subjects. Originally a governess, she became an artist at the Minton-founded Art Pottery Studio in Kensington in the early 1870s. There, she decorated ceramic blanks, many of which were sold by Howell, James & Co., a Regent Street retailer that supported female artists. After the studio closed due to a fire in 1875, Welby continued painting from home and briefly partnered with artist Charlotte Spiers.
She also worked as an illustrator, embroiderer, and Christmas card designer. Between 1879 and 1904, she exhibited at venues including the Royal Academy, Grosvenor Gallery, Royal Society of British Artists, and New Watercolour Society.
Her work was shown at the 1878 International Exhibition in Paris, including two Minton plaques matching those now in the Royal Collection. In keeping with the two chargers offered in this collection these works, featuring female figures influenced by the Pre-Raphaelites, are typical of her style.