These images are provided for non-commercial use under a Creative Commons License (BY-NC-ND). To license a high resolution version, please contact our image library who will discuss fees, terms and waivers.
Download this imageCreative commons explained - what it means, how you can use our's and other people's content.
John Liston as Van Dunder
Production: Enoch Wood (Probably)
Earthenware figure, moulded and modelled, lead glazed and painted with polychrome enamels.
Earthenware figure of the actor John Liston in character, He wears a black conical hat with a red band over a lawyer’s wig; his clothes are black, with a white bow at the neck, a red belt and black shoes with red rosettes. He holds a scroll in both hands (broken off) and his head is turned to the left, as if in proclamation. He stands against a short, square marbled post, on a square white base which carried the transferred inscription: ‘Read it indeed : that’s very easily said, read it! The back is fully modeled and painted. The underside of the base is recessed and glazed.
History note: From the collection of Percy Fitzgerald Esq., FSA (1834-1925) of 37 St George’s Road, S.W.. Bought at Christie’s on 24 January 1908, lot 14, by Mr Thomas Sutton of Eastbourne for Dr J.W.L. Glaisher, Trinity College, Cambridge. This and a similar but differently-coloured figure were bought for £6.6s (six pound six shillings).
Dr J. W. L. Glaisher Bequest
Base: 6 cm
Height: 18.5 cm
Method of acquisition: Bequeathed (1928-12-07) by Glaisher, J. W. L., Dr
19th Century, second quarter#
Circa
1830
-
Circa
1840
John Liston (1776-1846) was a well known comic actor, who performed in London theatres from c.1805-1837. He appeared as van Dunder in John Poole’s comedy ‘ ‘Twould Puzzle a Conjurer’, which opened at the Haymarket Theatre, London, on 11 September 1824. The source for this figure was a coloured lithograph of Liston in nine of his best known roles, originally published in 1826. Six of the other roles are also found in pottery figures.
Pearlware figures decorated with enamels were in production by 1780. They were generally made at smaller potteries and are rarely marked. A cheaper alternative to porcelain figures, they drew on a variety of 3-D sources, including sculpture and porcelain figures. Classical, biblical, mythological and literary subjects were popular, as were animals and representations of rural life, seasons and trades. From the early 19th Century, scenes from everyday life and topical events were also common. These early figures are moulded, perhaps with moulded or modelled parts added, the bases often formed separately. After around 1810-1820, figures are often more vibrantly coloured. But by c.1835, these early methods had largely given way to three-part press-moulding, enabling cheaper production of figures for a growing market.
Very similar figures with this colouring and base include examples marked by Enoch Wood (1759-1840) of Burslem. Others, with similar modelling but different colours and base (including Fitzwilliam, C.990-1928) are probably by another maker. It was not uncommon for the Staffordshire potters to borrow designs from each other and c.1830 a similar 14cm figurine was also made by Robert Bloor & Co of Derby.
Decoration
composed of
enamels
lead-glaze
Parts
Moulding : Earthenware, moulded and modelled, lead glazed and painted with enamels.
Accession number: C.991-1928
Primary reference Number: 76502
Old object number: 2899
Stable URI
Owner or interested party:
The Fitzwilliam Museum
Associated department:
Applied Arts
This record can be cited in the Harvard Bibliographic style using the text below:
The Fitzwilliam Museum (2024) "John Liston as Van Dunder" Web page available at: https://collection.beta.fitz.ms/id/object/76502 Accessed: 2024-11-25 01:14:05
To cite this record on Wikipedia you can use this code snippet:
{{cite web|url=https://collection.beta.fitz.ms/id/object/76502
|title=John Liston as Van Dunder
|author=The Fitzwilliam Museum|accessdate=2024-11-25 01:14:05|publisher=The
University of Cambridge}}
To call these data via our API (remember this needs to be authenticated) you can use this code snippet:
https://collection.beta.fitz.ms/api/v1/objects/object-76502
To use this as a simple code embed, copy this string:
<div class="text-center"> <figure class="figure"> <img src="https://data.fitzmuseum.cam.ac.uk/imagestore/aa/aa8/C_991_1928_281_29.jpg" alt="John Liston as Van Dunder" class="img-fluid" /> <figcaption class="figure-caption text-info">John Liston as Van Dunder</figcaption> </figure> </div>
Updates about future exhibitions and displays, family activities, virtual events & news. You'll be the first to know...