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Wedgwood Family Portrait

George ARA Stubbs

1780

paint

From the collection of Victoria and Albert Museum

Rococo painting Romanticism 18th Century Portrait

Dominant colour

Wedgwood Family Portrait is a 1780 paint by George ARA Stubbs, a Rococo painting work, held at Victoria and Albert Museum.

Who painted this?: George ARA Stubbs
When & what style?: 1780 · Rococo painting
Where can I see it?: Victoria and Albert Museum

About this work

George Stubbs painted the Wedgwood family outdoors in 1780. The scene shows them in their garden at Etruria Hall. Stubbs added his own horse in the background, a signature move for him. The family stands close but feels formal. Stubbs sketched them first, then painted on big terracotta tiles Josiah Wedgwood made. Stubbs usually painted animals, so seeing people is rare. Look up the Victoria and Albert Museum to see this painting in person.

The story of this work

Overview

A large conversation piece painted by George Stubbs in 1780 depicts the entire Wedgwood family gathered outdoors at Etruria Hall, showcasing the artist’s skill in portraying figures and horses. Commissioned during Stubbs’s stay while Josiah Wedgwood experimented with terracotta plaques, the work was completed on oak panel, with Josiah later noting strong but not delicate likenesses, particularly of his wife and daughters. Though initially dissatisfied, Josiah ultimately acknowledged the painting’s merits. Additional portraits of family members, including Josiah and Sarah on ceramic plaques…

Read the full account in the museum source.