William Duesbury

…first mastered the technique was William Duesbury. Established as a decorator in London by 1751, he concentrated on painting porcelain, but he also seems to have overglaze-painted stoneware from Staffordshire. Some extant brilliantly painted figures are probably from his studio. A little earlier than Duesbury’s overglaze-painted figures are the uncoloured…

The factory was bought by William Duesbury of Derby (see below) in 1770 and entered a phase known as the Chelsea-Derby period. The Neoclassical style was introduced together with the figure in biscuit porcelain made fashionable by Sèvres. It closed finally in 1784.

In 1756 William Duesbury established another factory at Derby. Advertising itself as “the second Dresden,” it produced finely modeled, palely coloured figures often imitative of Chelsea (with which it was often confused) and Meissen wares. Flowers and colourful insects were favourite decorations of the serviceware. After Duesbury…