George Whitefield
ca. 1790
Medium
Lead-glazed earthenware
Dimensions
Height: 12 1/2 in. (31.8 cm)
Classification
Ceramics-Pottery
Culture
British, Burslem, Staffordshire
Department
European Sculpture and Decorative Arts
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Gift of Francis P. Garvan, 1940
Accession Number
40.171.6
Tags
Art Historical Context
This charming lead-glazed earthenware bust of George Whitefield, crafted around 1790 by Enoch Wood captures the likeness of one of the 18th century's most influential evangelists. Whitefield, a key figure in the transatlantic Great Awakening, drew massive crowds with his fiery sermons across Britain and America. Standing at 12½ inches tall, this portrait from Burslem, Staffordshire—heart of Britain's pottery industry—exemplifies the era's fascination with celebrity religious leaders, rendered in a medium accessible to middle-class homes. Enoch Wood, a master potter from the renowned Wood fami...