In 1778 Sandby, ‘the father of English watercolours’, published The Virtuosi’s Museum, a volume of engravings of selected British views which had a great influence on the taste for the picturesque.
It had an influence on taste in china decoration too. Caughley used several of Sandby’s engravings as the source for landscapes on some of their Bright Landscape series of services, their most fashionable and stylish products of period, so-called because they were characterised by a distinctive bright underglaze blue.
Borrowing from private collections and museums, the Kensington Church Street dealers will be showing a series of around 45 examples of Bright Landscape wares, some using Sandby sources and presented with their engravings, others depicting local views around Shrewsbury and yet others being imaginary scenes. These will be accompanied by examples of landscape-decorated porcelain from other factories to place Caughley’s work in perspective.
The show runs from April 5-16 at 114 Kensington Church Street, London W8, and will be accompanied by an illustrated monograph. For further information telephone 020 7727 7995.
Putting the spotlight on Shropshire’s debt to Sandby
Caughley Porcelain has been on the up recently, gaining in followers and in value. Enthusiasts for this Shropshire factory will doubtless want to make their way to Stockspring Antiques next month for what looks to be an interesting loan exhibition under the title Paul Sandby and Caughley Porcelain.
