Plate with overglaze painted design of a cat鈥檚 face and paws, decorated in yellow and purple paint
Duncan Grant (1885- 1978), [Omega Workshops (1913-1919)], Plate with overglaze painted design of a cat's face and paws, 1913. Glazed earthenware with yellow and madder painted decoration. Diameter: 25 cm; Diamand, Pamela (Mrs); gift; 1958. The Courtauld, London (Samuel Courtauld Trust) 漏 The Courtauld

Plate with cat’s face and paws

Duncan Grant for the Omega Workshops Ltd, 1913

The Omega Workshops Ltd (1913鈥�1919) sold homewares鈥痙esigned and made by artists.鈥疘t鈥痺as鈥痚stablished in London by Roger Fry鈥�(1866鈥�1934),鈥痠n association with鈥痽ounger鈥痑rtists鈥痠n鈥痶he Bloomsbury Group,鈥疺anessa Bell鈥�(1879鈥�1961)鈥痑nd Duncan Grant鈥�(1885鈥�1978).鈥疶he鈥疧mega鈥痵ought to鈥痓ring鈥痑vant-garde art into British homes鈥痑nd鈥痯rovide regular paid work for struggling artists.鈥疧pened鈥痮n the eve of鈥痶he First鈥疻orld War,鈥痠t soon鈥痓ecame a centre for鈥痯acifist resistance,鈥痟olding鈥痗oncerts,鈥痯ublishing books,鈥痑nd celebrating鈥痠nternational鈥痑rtistic鈥痗ollaboration.

One of the鈥疧mega鈥檚鈥痵pecialities was鈥痗eramics.鈥疉t first,鈥痑rtists painted directly on to ordinary commercial plates. Here, the artist Duncan Grant was inspired by the style of Fauve arists in France who produced colourful and painterly ceramics in the early 1900s.

See this object in The Courtauld Gallery

See more collection highlights

Explore The Courtauld鈥檚 remarkable collection of paintings, prints and drawings, sculpture and decorative arts.

Two men sit across from each other at a table covered with a brown tablecloth, playing cards. Both men wear overcoats and hats, and the man on the left smokes a pipe. They sit inside a wooden building.
Paul C茅zanne (1839-1906) The Card Players, around 1892-96, The Courtauld, London (Samuel Courtauld Trust)

You might also like

Gallery Virtual Tours

Explore each floor of The Courtauld Gallery with our virtual tours. Zoom in to look closely at masterpieces from our remarkable collection, from individual brush strokes to the texture of the paint.

Citations