Britannia centrepiece - 1798
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Britannia centrepiece
© Wedgwood Museum
‘Britannia Triumphant’ crushing the prone figure of France underfoot is perhaps the most important figure group ever produced by Wedgwood. Inspired by an earlier candlestick subject ‘Minerva’ dating to c. 1782 modelled by Henry Webber, the figure was reworked by Wedgwood’s chief resident modeller William Hackwood, around 1799 to 1800. The resultant figure group, complete with cylindrical drum base, and surrounded by a temple-like structure, can be viewed in the 1809 print from ‘Ackermann’s Repository of the Arts’.
The highly important figure group featuring ‘Britannia Triumphant’ symbolically crushing a prone figure, representing France, underfoot took pride of place in the ‘Wedgwood & Byerley’ Showrooms in York Street, St James’s Square, London, for many years. The figure tops a large cylindrical drum structure, which is ornamented with laurel-framed portrait medallions of Nelson, Howe, Duncan, and St Vincent who were instrumental in defeating the French in many great naval battles. The two pieces were encased in a unique temple and dome made in jasper – sadly the temple has not survived, but the original figure of Britannia is in the collection of the Birmingham Museum of Art, Alabama, and two ‘drums’ are held by the Wedgwood Museum. The Britannia figure bears more than a passing resemblance to that of the Minerva candlestick which was probably modelled by Henry Webber. Documentary evidence in the Wedgwood Museum archive strongly suggests that William Hackwood, chief modeller at Etruria, was responsible for the re-interpretation of the subject and specific references to Hackwood being ‘about the temple’ which is ‘superb’ would seem to confirm this. Other written details appear to point to the fact that the group was intended originally to form the centrepiece at a banquet sometime in 1800.
- Type of object: Ornamental ware/centre piece
- Mark: WEDGWOOD® [Impressed] Made in England [Impressed]
- Year first produced: 1798
- Body: Jasper
- Material: Ceramic
- Decoration: Ornamented
- Accession number: 9551
- Dimensions: 297 mm (diameter), 410 mm (height)
Related people
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Henry Webber
Designer
Henry Webber - Designer
Sculptor, modeller to Wedgwood and head of the ornamental department at Etruria from 1785 to 1806. Henry Webber was the son of a Swiss sculptor, and a pupil of John Bacon, and was recommended to Josiah Wedgwood by Sir Joshua Reynolds. He arrived at Etruria in June 1782, and by January 1785 he had signed a seven year contract with the factory. In 1787 was sent to Rome - ‘….for the purpose of making Models Drawings and other improvements in the Arts of Modelling and Designing for the benefit of ….. Josiah Wedgwood.’ He was directly involved with the modelling of the bas-relief figures for the reproduction of the Portland Vase.
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Edward Burch
Designer
Edward Burch - Designer
Burch was accepted into the Royal Academy schools in 1769 – the year in which Wedgwood opened his new factory at Etruria – and was elected a member two years later. In his lifetime he achieved a considerable reputation – both as a gem engraver and a modeller in wax. He supplied Wedgwood with models between 1788 and 1790, and in 1789 he produced a portrait head and shoulders of George III to celebrate the king’s temporary return to sanity. He also supplied 18 individual horse-studies – some of which were after drawings by George Stubbs.
