Staffordshire Figure of David Garrick as Richard III

Staffordshire Pottery: David Garrick (1717-1779) as Richard III in William Shakespeare's 'Richard III'.

Full-length Staffordshire figure of David Garrick as Richard III, sitting on a couch in a tent.

Provenance: The Reverend Harry Bloomfield Collection.

Condition: A good example. No cracks or chips. Typical crazing.

The Paint is still very fresh and the gilt has not faded.

Victorian Staffordshire pottery is a very important part of our English national heritage, because it records the interests of the nineteenth century working man.

In the middle of the nineteenth century there were many small pot banks producing hundreds of different models. These included such themes as Royalty, the Theatre, Military exploits, Politics and Crime. The inspiration for these figures came from the drawings in the Illustrated London News, from music covers, theatrical posters and everyday events. It is still possible to trace the source of many of the figures. The models are important because they capture the interests of the poorer Victorians. They were intended to be commemorative pieces and were often sold on trays in the street, and then displayed on mantelpieces in humbler homes.

The representation of actors and actresses was especially popular. This flatback represents David Garrick as Richard III in the famous tent scene before the Battle of Bosworth, haunted by the ghosts of those he has murdered. It was modelled after a painting of 1745 by William Hogarth which was later reproduced in engravings. In the painting his hand is raised in a gesture of horror and not as the rather benign royal wave it appears to be in the flatback.

David Garrick (1717-1779) was recognised during his lifetime as one of the greatest actors in both comedy and tragedy. He was born in Hereford, came to London in 1737 to work as a wine merchant but made his London debut as an actor at Goodman's Fields as Richard III in 1741. He managed the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane, from 1747 until 1776 and was depicted in many of his most famous roles during his lifetime, especially in paintings by Johann Zoffany (1733-1810). Richard III was a role with which he was especially associated, both from his London debut and from his first appearance at Drury Lane Theatre on 11 May 1742.

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