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 the Earl of Derby, dated 1881 to the reverse and signed J.D. Rochfort. John Downes Rochfort (1825-1885) was a painter of ceramics and watercolours.
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.
Edward Stanley, 15th Earl of Derby, was president of the hospital and opened the South Block in June 1881. A print from 1888 of Stanley acquired by Prince Albert forms part of the Royal Collection.
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.