Lot Essay
Commissioned by the Duke of Clarence, later William IV (1765-1830) in January 1790, the entire Hope Service, of which this is part, took a year to produce and cost ¨700. It proved to be decisive for the Worcester factory, helping to establish its reputation as a manufacturer under Royal patronage after what had been a difficult period. The commission was won in competition against Derby; the Duke selected the design from five samples provided by John Flight. Four of these were painted with figures en grisaille by John Pennington, of whom little is known; related to the family of Liverpool porcelain manufacturers of the same name, he had been employed at the Wedgwood decorating workshops in London, prior to being taken on by John Flight to replace the recently departed and previously most important decorators, the Chamberlains. His early work is generally characterised by figure-painting in monochrome, this commission probably representing the high point of his career.
The original service consisted of two hundred and sixty pieces, which were sold in these Rooms on 11 May 1893, lots 104-165, by Charles, 20th Earl of Erroll. He had inherited the service via his grandfather, William George, the 18th Earl, who married Elizabeth FitzClarence, the daughter of William IV, in 1820.
The later erroneous and romantic association of the service with Admiral Lord Nelson was perhaps prompted by the somewhat nautical appearance of the decoration, which, although iconographically typical of late 18th Century representations of Hope, came to be viewed in the 19th Century as being portraits of Lady Hamilton. This association was then reinforced when at the Christie's sale of 1893 the service was proclaimed as being that which had belonged to Nelson, this information having been derived from Lord Frederick FitzClarence's will.
Cf. R.L. Hobson, Worcester Porcelain (1910), plate CV (2) and Henry Sandon, The Illustrated Guide to Worcester Porcelain (1969), pl. 148 and the examples in the British Museum, The Victoria and Albert Museum and The Museum of Worcester Porcelain. See also the other examples sold in these Rooms, including two plates sold on 6 June 1988, lot 203.
The original service consisted of two hundred and sixty pieces, which were sold in these Rooms on 11 May 1893, lots 104-165, by Charles, 20th Earl of Erroll. He had inherited the service via his grandfather, William George, the 18th Earl, who married Elizabeth FitzClarence, the daughter of William IV, in 1820.
The later erroneous and romantic association of the service with Admiral Lord Nelson was perhaps prompted by the somewhat nautical appearance of the decoration, which, although iconographically typical of late 18th Century representations of Hope, came to be viewed in the 19th Century as being portraits of Lady Hamilton. This association was then reinforced when at the Christie's sale of 1893 the service was proclaimed as being that which had belonged to Nelson, this information having been derived from Lord Frederick FitzClarence's will.
Cf. R.L. Hobson, Worcester Porcelain (1910), plate CV (2) and Henry Sandon, The Illustrated Guide to Worcester Porcelain (1969), pl. 148 and the examples in the British Museum, The Victoria and Albert Museum and The Museum of Worcester Porcelain. See also the other examples sold in these Rooms, including two plates sold on 6 June 1988, lot 203.