Image of Gallery in South Kensington
On display at V&A South Kensington
Ceramics, Room 139, The Curtain Foundation Gallery

The London Beggar

Figure Group
ca. 1755-1765 (made), ca. 1754 (modelled)
Artist/Maker
Place of origin

Figure group of 'The London Beggar', from a series of 'Cries of London', hard-paste porcelain. Standing woman leading a boy by the hand and carrying a child over her back in a shawl. Rocky support. Rococo, flowered base. Painted with enamel colours and gilt: the woman's costume in pale shades of puce, blue , yellow and lavender, the boy in 'sea-green' and puce.


Object details

Categories
Object type
TitleThe London Beggar (generic title)
Materials and techniques
Hard-paste porcelain, painted in enamels and gilt
Brief description
Figure group of 'The London Beggar', from a series of 'Cries of London', hard-paste porcelain painted in enamels and gilt, probably modelled by J. J. Kändler and P. Reinicke, about 1754, made by Meissen porcelain factory, Germany, about 1755-65
Physical description
Figure group of 'The London Beggar', from a series of 'Cries of London', hard-paste porcelain. Standing woman leading a boy by the hand and carrying a child over her back in a shawl. Rocky support. Rococo, flowered base. Painted with enamel colours and gilt: the woman's costume in pale shades of puce, blue , yellow and lavender, the boy in 'sea-green' and puce.
Dimensions
  • Height: 15cm
Marks and inscriptions
Large crossed swords (Factory mark in underglaze blue, under open base)
Credit line
Bequeathed by Miss Florence Augusta Beare in memory of Arthur Doveton Clarke
Object history
Probably modelled by J. J. Kändler and P. Reinicke about 1754, after an engraving by Marcellus Laroon, 'The London Beggar', plate 69 of 'Cries of the City of London', London: P. Tempesta, 1711.
Production
Attribution from the manuscript catalogue dates from about 1970 and was compiled by William Hutton of the Toledo Museum of Art, Ohio.
Subject depicted
Bibliographic references
  • Zimmermann, Ernst, Meissner porzellan. Leipzig, Hiersemann, 1926, p. 195
  • Honey, W. B. Dresden china: an introduction to the study of Meissen porcelain. London: A. & C. Black, 1934, Pl. XXXII (c), pp. 100, 168.
Collection
Accession number
C.940-1919

About this object record

Explore the Collections contains over a million catalogue records, and over half a million images. It is a working database that includes information compiled over the life of the museum. Some of our records may contain offensive and discriminatory language, or reflect outdated ideas, practice and analysis. We are committed to addressing these issues, and to review and update our records accordingly.

You can write to us to suggest improvements to the record.

Suggest feedback

Record createdJune 24, 2009
Record URL
Download as: JSONIIIF Manifest