Artwork
Untitled
Untitled is a watercolor work on paper by the Impressionist artist Herbert Sharp. It dates from 1899 and is held in the collection of the Victoria and Albert Museum.
About this work
The background is a plain light green, and the jug’s rim and base have simple blue and white patterns.
This is a painted jug with a white body and a band of bright floral designs. The flowers are mostly blue and orange, with green leaves and swirling vines. The background is a plain light green, and the jug’s rim and base have simple blue and white patterns.
The artist signed the corner with their name and the year 1899. The jug looks like a real object, not just decoration—it’s solid and three-dimensional on the page.
Check out the Victoria and Albert Museum to see more objects like this.
Overview
This untitled watercolour depicts a meticulously rendered, full-scale replica of a 16th-century Turkish glazed earthenware mug, capturing its ornate decoration and three-dimensional form on a flat surface.
Subject & Meaning
The subject is a historical Turkish ceramic vessel, specifically a mug adorned with floral motifs, including lilies, long serrated leaves, and swirling vines, executed in a palette dominated by blue, orange, and green hues.
Technique & Style
The watercolour technique employed achieves a high degree of realism, conveying the solidity and texture of the ceramic original. The artist's attention to detail is evident in the precise rendering of the mug's decorative elements and its structural elements, such as the rim and base patterns.
History & Provenance
Signed by the artist in 1899, the work reflects late 19th-century interests in historical and cultural artifacts, possibly influenced by the Victorian era's fascination with Orientalism and the collecting of antiquities.
Context
Comparable examples of 16th-century Turkish earthenware can be found in institutions like the Victoria and Albert Museum, suggesting the artist may have drawn inspiration from such collections or the broader academic and aesthetic trends of the time.
Artist & collection
Artist
Herbert Sharp painted quiet watercolours in the late 1800s, often leaving the titles blank on the page.
