Figure of the Day: Three Graces Distressing Cupid, c. 1785

Three Graces Distressing Cupid
William Duesbury & Co.
Derby, England
1785
The Victoria & Albert Museum

A figure group of soft-paste porcelain on an irregular base of modeled flowers and leaves, this is the work of Derby’s William Duesbury & Co and dates to about 1785.

The subject is “Three Graces Distressing Cupid.” Poor Cupid is tied to a tree by his waist. One of the Graces is mocking him by breaking his bow over her knee. Another is pinching him. And, the third is pelting him with flowers. None of that seems very graceful.

Figure of the Day: A Girl with a Basket of Eggs, 1765

Girl with a Basket of Eggs
William Duesbury & Co.
1765
The Victoria & Albert Museum

Made in Derby, England, around 1765, by William Duesbury & Co., this figure in soft-paste porcelain is painted with enamels and gilded. The figure, in typical Duesbury style, depicts a girl with a basket of eggs. She stands beside a tree trunk on a rococo scrolled base.

Such a figure would have joined similarly pastoral figurines or groups on a grand dining table during the dessert course.

Object of the Day, Museum Edition: The Duesbury Canary, 1780-1785

Canary
Soft-Paste Porcelain
William Duesbury & Co., 1780-1785
The Victoria & Albert Museum

Made in soft-paste porcelain and painted with enamels, this figure of a canary perched on the stump of a tree is the work of William Duesbury & Co. and dates between 1780 and 1785. The work of the Duesbury Company is always quite fine. Take, for instance, the details here of the foliage and flowers. Surviving figures by the Duesbury factory are quite collectible and considered some of the most attractive porcelain works of the Eighteenth Century. 

Figure of the Day: Three Graces Distressing Cupid, c. 1785

Three Graces Distressing Cupid
William Duesbury & Co.
Derby, England
1785
The Victoria & Albert Museum

A figure group of soft-paste porcelain on an irregular base of modeled flowers and leaves, this is the work of Derby’s William Duesbury & Co and dates to about 1785.

The subject is “Three Graces Distressing Cupid.” Poor Cupid is tied to a tree by his waist. One of the Graces is mocking him by breaking his bow over her knee. Another is pinching him. And, the third is pelting him with flowers. None of that seems very graceful.

Figure of the Day: The Duesbury Canary, 1780-1785

Canary
Soft-Paste Porcelain
William Duesbury & Co., 1780-1785
The Victoria & Albert Museum

Made in soft-paste porcelain and painted with enamels, this figure of a canary perched on the stump of a tree is the work of William Duesbury & Co. and dates between 1780 and 1785. The work of the Duesbury Company is always quite fine. Take, for instance, the details here of the foliage and flowers. Surviving figures by the Duesbury factory are quite collectible and considered some of the most attractive porcelain works of the Eighteenth Century. 

Figure of the Day: A Girl with a Basket of Eggs, 1765

Girl with a Basket of Eggs
William Duesbury & Co.
1765
The Victoria & Albert Museum

Made in Derby, England, around 1765, by William Duesbury & Co., this figure in soft-paste porcelain is painted with enamels and gilded.  The figure, in typical Duesbury style, depicts a girl with a basket of eggs. She stands beside a tree trunk on a rococo scrolled base.

Such a figure would have joined similarly pastoral figurines or groups on a grand dining table during the dessert course. 

Figure of the Day: Summer, c. 1770

Summer
Number Three of Four from "The Seasons"
William Duesbury & Co.
1770-1784
The Victoria & Albert Museum

From William Duesbury & C0.—a Derby, England porcelain factory—we see this figure of a girl symbolizing Summer.  She is made of soft-paste porcelain which has been painted with enamels and gilded.

Made between 1770 and 1784, the figure is typical of the Rococo style.  She is marked “3,” and is, obviously, one of a set of four which represent the seasons.

She’s an excellent specimen and wholly representative of the work of William Duesbury who were known for their attractively modeled figures and pleasant, fashionable color palettes.