The Wedgwood Museum

During the summer of 1780 George Stubbs stayed at Etruria, with the Wedgwood family whilst Josiah experimented in making large-size terracotta plaques for Stubbs to paint on. During his stay Stubbs made sketches for a large family conversation piece depicting the whole Wedgwood family gathered in the grounds of their home, Etruria Hall.The famous picture, on oak panel, shows Stubbs’s ability as a horse painter, for which he was rightly acclaimed. Josiah suggested that Stubbs could make some contribution towards the enormous cost of the ceramic plaque he was producing for him commenting; ‘we will take the payment in paintings’.The large family painting was not liked by Josiah, who felt that the likenesses were ‘strong, but not very delicate’. He was particularly critical of the depictions of his wife, Sarah, and their daughter Susannah and Mary Anne in particular. Although never totally satisfied with the painting Josiah finally admitted that there was, ‘much to praise and little to blame’ in the picture.Stubbs also painted Josiah and Sarah on ceramic plaques and Sarah’s father Richard Wedgwood while he stayed in Staffordshire. These family portraits also form part of the Wedgwood Museum Trust’s collections and are displayed in the Wedgwood Museum, together with another interesting painted ceramic plaque traditionally thought to depict Erasmus Darwin, though now tentatively attributed, by a Stubbs scholar, to be Dr Hardy.

• Type of object: Non-ceramic objects/painting
• Mark: Geo. Stubbs pinxit 1782[Inscribed]
• Year first produced: 1780
• Material: Wood
• Accession number: 5703
• Dimensions: 1490mm (height), 2130mm (width), 115mm (depth)