Object Description
A hand decorated antique English heraldic tile depicting the coat of arms of Prince George, Duke of Cambridge, dating from 1881. This porcelain tile is one of 14 similar we are selling, removed from the now demolished library of the Victorian Brompton Consumption Hospital, London. It is dated and signed J. D. Rochfort to the reverse.
Prince George (1819-1904) was cousin to Queen Victoria who ruled Great Britain and Ireland from 1837 to 1901. He had a distinguished military career, serving in the British army for 39 years. A portrait of the Duke, painted for Queen Victoria, forms part of the Royal Collection.
Brompton Consumption Hospital was founded in 1841 and built throughout the 1840s. An illustration from the Royal Collection shows how the exterior of hospital looked circa 1845.
This large scale 8-inch tile is unique and brilliantly detailed, making a superb collector’s item. Hand-painted on porcelain, it is over 140 years old and captures the talent of the artist, offering a glimpse into 19th century English history. The artist, John Downes Rochfort (1825-1885), was a painter of ceramics and watercolours.
Image source: Book illustration of ‘Hospital for Consumption and Diseases of the Chest.’ by Hulme, F. W. (engraver) from The Royal Collection Trust.