Roundel with two figures walking in a wood, 1851 or after

Samuel Smith (fl. 1800 - fl. 1840)

RA Collection: Art

A monochrome watercolour drawing in a roundel format showing two men in long robes walking in a wooded landscape. The scene is similar to Chinese-style porcelain decoration such as the famous Willow Pattern. The style, colouring and shape of this drawing suggest that it is a design to decorate a plate. Chinoiserie ceramics were popular during the 19th century.

Samuel Smith was a Worcester porcelain painter who worked for the Flight and Barr company and possibly others. John Homes Smith and his son John Halphead Smith who collected these drawings also worked as porcelain painters and they probably knew, or were perhaps related to, Samuel Smith..