About this piece
back to topA hand decorated antique English heraldic tile depicting the coat of arms of Queen Victoria, 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.
Queen Victoria, ‘The Patron’, ruled Great Britain and Ireland from 1837 – 1901. Brompton Consumption Hospital was founded in 1841 and built throughout the 1840s. An illustration (pictured) from the Royal Collection shows how the exterior of hospital looked circa 1845. A commemorative medallion from June 1844 (pictured) marking the establishment of the hospital states that the foundation stone was laid by Queen Victoria’s husband, Prince Albert.
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 sources:
Book illustration of ‘Hospital for Consumption and Diseases of the Chest.’ by Hulme, F. W. (engraver) from The Royal Collection Trust.
Medallion ‘New Hospital for Consumption and Diseases of the Chest, Brompton, June 11, 1844 (Foundation stone laid by Prince Albert)’ from Tulane University Digital Library.