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Design

late 19th century (made)
Artist/Maker
Place of origin

William de Morgan (1839-1917) was an eminent designer and potter. He was associated with the Art and Crafts movements and worked closely with William Morris, which shaped his artistic ideals. De Morgan is perhaps best known for his prolific tile production that drew inspiration from Middle-Eastern motifs and Italian Renaissance patterns. Other inspirations included nature, the work of William Morris, medieval art, and 16th- and 17th-century engravings for Dutch tile designs. He was interested in both the technical and aesthetic aspect of ceramic decoration.


Object details

Categories
Object type
Materials and techniques
pencil and blue wash (front); pencil drawing (reverse)
Brief description
'Corner Sunflower' with centaur on reverse, tile or dish design, William De Morgan, late 19th century
Physical description
Design for a tile or dish with a stylised sunflower and leaves. On the reverse is a centaur abducting a woman.
Dimensions
  • Sheet height: 373mm
  • Sheet width: 368mm
  • Sunflower design height: 30.5cm (Note: taken from Greenwood (1989))
  • Sunflower design width: 30.5cm (Note: taken from Greenwood (1989))
Style
Marks and inscriptions
  • Corner Sunflower (title in pencil)
  • Chelsea (in pencil)
  • 70 (encircled number)
  • DESIGNED PREVIOUS TO 1888 (stamped)
Credit line
Given by Mrs William De Morgan
Subjects depicted
Summary
William de Morgan (1839-1917) was an eminent designer and potter. He was associated with the Art and Crafts movements and worked closely with William Morris, which shaped his artistic ideals. De Morgan is perhaps best known for his prolific tile production that drew inspiration from Middle-Eastern motifs and Italian Renaissance patterns. Other inspirations included nature, the work of William Morris, medieval art, and 16th- and 17th-century engravings for Dutch tile designs. He was interested in both the technical and aesthetic aspect of ceramic decoration.
Bibliographic reference
Published in M. Greenwood, The Designs of William De Morgan (Shepton Beauchamp, 1989), p.158 and p.26
Collection
Accession number
E.523-1917

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Record createdJuly 1, 2009
Record URL
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