Lettered title: Christy

Samuel Alcock & Company, 1845

MEDIUMGouache
DIMENSIONSsheet: 13 x 9 5/8 in. (33 x 24.5 cm)
LOCATIONThe Metropolitan Museum of Art
COLLECTIONDrawings and Prints
CREDIT LINEThe Elisha Whittelsey Collection, The Elisha Whittelsey Fund, 1956

Stop and admire this striking design for a ceramic piece from a leading 19th-century pottery firm. The bold colors and elegant profile offer a window into Victorian decorative arts.

Get the full experience in Art Whisper
Get it on Google Play Download on the App Store
ABOUT THIS WORK

This vibrant gouache design, titled "Christy," offers a glimpse into the creative process behind mid-19th century ceramics. The artwork depicts a woman's head in profile, her hair elegantly styled with a decorative comb, set against a rich, deep blue background. This is not a finished portrait but a working drawing, likely intended as a motif for a ceramic piece. The bold use of gouache, an opaque watercolor, allows for the strong, saturated colors and crisp lines visible here, mimicking the smooth, glazed surface of porcelain. It was created by Samuel Alcock & Company, a prominent Staffordshire pottery manufacturer known for its decorative wares. The piece reflects the era's taste for classical profiles and ornamental details, translating high art into accessible domestic objects.

LOOK CLOSER

What to Notice

1

The crisp profile of the woman's face and neck

2

The delicate, almost sculptural detail of her hair comb

3

The intense, uniform blue of the background

1 more detail waiting — unlock in Art Whisper
Audio Deep Dive

Stop and admire this striking design for a ceramic piece from a leading 19th-century pottery firm. The bold colors and elegant profile offer a window into Vict…

Hear the full story in the app
THE ARTIST
Samuel Alcock & Company

Samuel Alcock & Company, a prominent British business, was renowned for its intricate ceramic designs, particularly elegant cups and tureens, in the mid-19th century.

Read Samuel's full story in Art Whisper
See something wrong?
Open the App