- Style/technique: Pictorial Print
- Manufacturer: Minton Hollins
- Dimensions: 6" x 6"
- Date: Circa 1885
From a fabulous and rare series by Minton Hollins
representing the classical elements of earth, air, fire
and water and the seasons, printed in a superb shade of
blue on brilliant white body. Excellent artwork,
economical and built upon the strength of the line
without shading the illustrations depict the subjects
with clarity. It appears as if the designer was
challenged with representing the subjects in novel forms
as the usual depictions of figural subjects have been
replaced by an eclectic mixture and demonstrate the
artist's wonderful sense of humour.
Whilst nowadays the order earth, air, fire and water
is the accepted norm it was not so in Victorian times,
the sequence of fire, air, water, earth as depicted in
these tiles has the provenance of Shakespeare in the play
Pericles, Prince of Tyre and in the Victorian era with
newly available literature for all the works of
Shakespeare were iconic and influential on many aspects
of art and life in the wider sense.
Verso fully marked as one would expect for Minton
Hollins