July - Rare miniature on porcelain and new information

Miniatures on porcelain or marble

This miniature portrait is painted on a porcelain plaque by William Corden (1797-1867).

It was obtained at a local auction where a very large and valuable collection of early British porcelain was being sold. The collector had obviously acquired this one as it depicts one of the early Derby porcelain artists, Thomas Tatlow, who was painted by another early Derby porcelain artist, William Corden. However, the auction house did not realize this, so their catalogue missed the connection. To see examples of Tatlow's work see Corden, William - portrait of Thomas Tatlow

As such it is a rare example of this type of miniature, as most British miniature portraits were painted on ivory, with a few painted on other materials including on paper, card, or enamel on copper. In America they were also painted on milk glass, but I have not yet seen a British miniature on glass.


Miniatures in Britain which are painted on marble or on porcelain are quite unusual. There are two on marble in this collection, both painted by Thomas Heathfield Carrick (1802-1875) see View and View Also one other on porcelain by Michael Kean (1761-1823). Michael Kean became a junior partner, and later married the widow of the owner, of the famous Derby Porcelain Factory and so became the owner of the factory until 1811. Kean, Michael - portrait of Mrs Samuel Keys

New information
An interesting facet of collecting is finding new information about an artist or sitter. Changes are often made as a result of emailed information. Two recent examples are images of an important bust sculpted by John Tweed, and a kind correction of a name Macbean, which I had misread as Maclean. The information has been added to the descriptions of the two miniatures.

Clark, John Stewart - portrait of John Tweed

Firstly, A kind private collector has forwarded me images of a bust owned by the collector which was sculpted by John Tweed who I had discussed last year. The bust is inscribed; "" To Mon Ami Docteur Jamerson [sic]" Paris 97 John Tweed ".
Despite the spelling, this appears to relate to Dr Leander Starr Jameson and so this an important bust in the history of South Africa. More about Jameson can be seen at Dr Leander Starr Jameson




Deane, Erastus - portrait of Daniel Stewart

Secondly, At the top is a Colonel Macbean (I originally read this as Maclean, but a kind visitor has corrected me). As a result of this correction, it is possible to speculate on the officer's identity. It seems likely he was one of the Macbeans referred to in The Gentleman's Magazine of 1855;
"Gen Sir William Macbean KCB May 25 At Brompton aged 73. General Sir William Macbean KCB KTS, Colonel of the 92d Foot. Sir William was the son of Colonel Macbean of the 6th regiment, and grandson of Lieut General Macbean of the Royal Artillery. He was born at Southampton in 1782."

I think that his red coat suggests an infantry regiment, as I believe artillery regiments usually had blue coats. That could make him Colonel Macbean of the 6th regiment of foot.