About this piece
back to topA hand decorated antique English heraldic tile by J. D. Rochfort 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 depicts the coat of arms of J. D. Rochfort, dated 1881 to the reverse. John Downes Rochfort (1825-1885) was a painter of ceramics and watercolours. Between 1862 and 1883, he travelled across Europe, North America and Africa, collecting photographs, newspaper clippings and prints to create 7 separate albums. These can be found in the archive of the Science Museum Group.
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.
Image source: Book illustration of ‘Hospital for Consumption and Diseases of the Chest.’ by Hulme, F. W. (engraver) from The Royal Collection Trust.