WILLIAM DE MORGAN. Charger, England, circa 1888 - 1907, lustre-glazed earthenware so-called "Moonlight Lustre", decoration of a galleon executed by Charles Passenger.
Circular with raised rim, decoration of a galleon in blue, white and silver, mythological creatures in the flag and sails, travelling on a wavy sea with fish under a deep blue sky with red-white clouds and flying seagulls, the underside with concentric circles in various shades of blue and red, signed C.P, diameter 46.4 cm
HISTORY
William De Morgan (1839–1917) was an English potter, designer and novelist, and one of the leading figures of the Arts and Crafts movement. His vibrant and innovative designs for vases, dishes and tiles belong to the most distinct and enduringly popular objects of the Victorian era. De Morgan's ceramic production constitutes in many ways the equivalent of William Morris's textiles and wallpapers.
De Morgan grew up in an intellectual home where his mother Sophia was involved in the suffragette movement and women's right to higher education, while his father Augustus was a professor of mathematics at University College in London. His parents supported William's artistic talent and interest, and as a young man he took evening classes in art. In 1859, William gained a place at the Royal Academy, where he came into contact with other young, promising artists. A decisive meeting took place in 1863 when his friend Henry Holiday introduced him to William Morris. The meeting caused De Morgan to abandon his studies to instead start as a designer at the recently established firm Morris, Marshall, Faulkner & Co.
For a period, he occupied himself primarily with stained glass. It was also here that the seed for his future ceramics began to grow; De Morgan was taken by the iridescent beauty of the silver stain used to mark the contours in stained glass, which inspired him to try to achieve the same effect on tiles. De Morgan soon began to experiment with decorations, and after some initial mishaps (including fires that resulted in burnt-down roofs), he established himself in 1873 on Cheyne Row in Chelsea. Here he managed to recruit skilled painters who could transfer his designs to the ceramics. Among the most notable are the talented brothers Fred and Charles Passenger, with whom De Morgan would work for over three decades. In Chelsea, he successfully produced hundreds of different designs, and the success meant that in 1882 he was able to establish a larger ceramic workshop in Surrey, right next to Morris's textile workshop.
In the larger premises, De Morgan could begin to manufacture dishes, pots, vases and vessels. The objects were thrown and painted by skilled craftsmen, while De Morgan himself could passionately devote himself to the design and the chemistry behind the glazes. After health problems and his marriage to the artist Evelyn Pickering, De Morgan chose to move the business closer to home, to Fulham, and the period that followed (1888–1898) would become one of the most fruitful of his career. It was here that some of his most ambitious lustre glazes were created, including the exclusive series called "Moonlight" and "Sunset", which consisted of objects with double and triple lustre effects. The objects in the Moonlight series were decorated in gold, silver and copper against a deep blue background, which required metal oxides that demanded different firing temperatures. This meant that each object had to undergo multiple firings, which made the process extremely laborious and risky, which is why the production was both small and very exclusive. The auction's charger, painted by Charles Passenger and decorated with a motif of a galleon, is typical of its time of creation, a period when De Morgan was also working on a large commission comprising ceramic panels for twelve of P&O's ocean liners.
The sketch for the present charger, dated 17 November 1881, is preserved in the Victoria and Albert Museum's collections with accession number E.1184-1917.
LITERATURE
The sketch is depicted in Greenwood, Martin, and William De Morgan. The Designs of William De Morgan. Richard Dennis and William E. Wiltshire, 1989, p. 51.Show more
Condition
For questions and a condition report, please contact Design@auktionsverket.com.
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Sale
The Design Sale
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Circular with raised rim, decoration of a galleon in blue, white and silver, mythological creatures in the flag and sails, travelling on a wavy sea with fish under a deep blue sky with red-white clouds and flying seagulls, the underside with concentric circles in various shades of blue and red, signed C.P, diameter 46.4 cm
HISTORY
William De Morgan (1839–1917) was an English potter, designer and novelist, and one of the leading figures of the Arts and Crafts movement. His vibrant and innovative designs for vases, dishes and tiles belong to the most distinct and enduringly popular objects of the Victorian era. De Morgan's ceramic production constitutes in many ways the equivalent of William Morris's textiles and wallpapers.
De Morgan grew up in an intellectual home where his mother Sophia was involved in the suffragette movement and women's right to higher education, while his father Augustus was a professor of mathematics at University College in London. His parents supported William's artistic talent and interest, and as a young man he took evening classes in art. In 1859, William gained a place at the Royal Academy, where he came into contact with other young, promising artists. A decisive meeting took place in 1863 when his friend Henry Holiday introduced him to William Morris. The meeting caused De Morgan to abandon his studies to instead start as a designer at the recently established firm Morris, Marshall, Faulkner & Co.
For a period, he occupied himself primarily with stained glass. It was also here that the seed for his future ceramics began to grow; De Morgan was taken by the iridescent beauty of the silver stain used to mark the contours in stained glass, which inspired him to try to achieve the same effect on tiles. De Morgan soon began to experiment with decorations, and after some initial mishaps (including fires that resulted in burnt-down roofs), he established himself in 1873 on Cheyne Row in Chelsea. Here he managed to recruit skilled painters who could transfer his designs to the ceramics. Among the most notable are the talented brothers Fred and Charles Passenger, with whom De Morgan would work for over three decades. In Chelsea, he successfully produced hundreds of different designs, and the success meant that in 1882 he was able to establish a larger ceramic workshop in Surrey, right next to Morris's textile workshop.
In the larger premises, De Morgan could begin to manufacture dishes, pots, vases and vessels. The objects were thrown and painted by skilled craftsmen, while De Morgan himself could passionately devote himself to the design and the chemistry behind the glazes. After health problems and his marriage to the artist Evelyn Pickering, De Morgan chose to move the business closer to home, to Fulham, and the period that followed (1888–1898) would become one of the most fruitful of his career. It was here that some of his most ambitious lustre glazes were created, including the exclusive series called "Moonlight" and "Sunset", which consisted of objects with double and triple lustre effects. The objects in the Moonlight series were decorated in gold, silver and copper against a deep blue background, which required metal oxides that demanded different firing temperatures. This meant that each object had to undergo multiple firings, which made the process extremely laborious and risky, which is why the production was both small and very exclusive. The auction's charger, painted by Charles Passenger and decorated with a motif of a galleon, is typical of its time of creation, a period when De Morgan was also working on a large commission comprising ceramic panels for twelve of P&O's ocean liners.
The sketch for the present charger, dated 17 November 1881, is preserved in the Victoria and Albert Museum's collections with accession number E.1184-1917.
LITERATURE
The sketch is depicted in Greenwood, Martin, and William De Morgan. The Designs of William De Morgan. Richard Dennis and William E. Wiltshire, 1989, p. 51.Show more
Condition
For questions and a condition report, please contact Design@auktionsverket.com.
Resale right
No
Sale
The Design Sale
Estimate
Time, Location
Auction House
