Figure of Britannia (c. 1756): Art, History and Details

Figure of Britannia (c. 1756) is in the Cleveland Museum of Art collection. The museum's creator attribution is Longton Hall Porcelain Factory (British, Staffordshire, 1749–60); Vauxhall Porcelain Factory (British, 1751–1764).

The work and its context

The museum's open-access catalogue describes the work:

In this depiction of Britannia, the figure is surrounded by symbols of England’s power and military might. On one side, she and a lion, another symbol of Britain, support a shield adorned with the Union flag. Below it lay motifs associated with war such as armor, a trumpet, and a flag. On her left, Britannia presents a medallion to the viewer as she rests her feet on a globe, a symbol of the nation’s territorial aspirations. The portrait may depict the reigning king, George II (1683–1760), or Prince Frederick Louis (1707–1751), his recently deceased heir.

Object facts

• Title: Figure of Britannia
• Date: c. 1756
• Creator attribution: Longton Hall Porcelain Factory (British, Staffordshire, 1749–60); Vauxhall Porcelain Factory (British, 1751–1764)
• Culture: England, Staffordshire
• Type: Ceramic
• Technique: soft-paste porcelain
• Dimensions: Overall: 28 x 24.5 x 13.7 cm (11 x 9 5/8 x 5 3/8 in.)
• Collection: Decorative Arts
• Department: Decorative Art and Design
• Accession number: 1917.626

A detail from the museum

The creation of this triumphant personification of the nation was likely spurred on by Great Britain’s conflict with France in the Seven Years’ War (1756–63).

Collection credit

Bequest of Mary Warden Harkness

Further reading listed by the museum

• "Bequest of Mrs. Charles W. Harkness." The Bulletin of the Cleveland Museum of Art 4, no. 4 (1917): 63.
• The Cleveland Museum of Art. Handbook of the Cleveland Museum of Art. Cleveland: The Cleveland Museum of Art, 1925.
• The Cleveland Museum of Art. Handbook of the Cleveland Museum of Art. Cleveland: The Cleveland Museum of Art, 1928.

View the collection record

See the museum's photographs and full catalogue entry. Catalogue text is reproduced from the Cleveland Museum of Art's open-access data, with HTML formatting removed. This object and its supplied image are designated CC0.