BRISTOL BARRELS
We are pleased to be able to offer this collection of Bristol Barrels, generally attributed to William FIFIELD (1778-1857). A flower painter at the Water Lane Pottery Bristol, he achieved considerable reputation, his distinctive style being half naturalistic and half conventional. W. Fifield born in Bath (1776) married first Mary, then Sarah a pottery transferer, is recorded in the census as a china enameller & painter, had two daughters Elizabeth (1816) and Mary (1845) and probably a Son in 1820, who is recorded as an apprentice painter at the Bristol Pottery and worked there until he emigrated to New Zealand in 1849. When you get a group together one asks questions, could Fifield have painted all the pots attributed to him, not just barrels but jugs and patch boxes !. Now who painted the barrels, I thought at first there were two distinctive styles, identifiable by the inclusion of the butterfly those with the insect are a deeper colour and have shorter leaves. But J.W.1835 has a butterfly above the spout, but this is painted by the calligrapher who I believe was a different person, not the flower painter , few potters could read or write !. So are they all painted by Father & Son ! I know this has probably been looked at before they are just my thoughts today. What were they for , most do appear to have a set of 3 initials and they often appear as pairs so probably commemorating a Wedding a drink to toast the couple !.