A FINE PORTRAIT MINIATURE OF A LADY ON PORCELAIN,
BY WILLIAM CORDEN,
SIGNED AND DATED FEB. 4, 1823.
William Corden was born at Ashbourne in Derbyshire on 28 November 1797 and died in Nottingham on 18 June 1867. He was apprenticed at the Derby China Works in 1811 and became an accomplished painter of landscapes. The artist left Derby before 1825 but was called back to paint the figures and other subjects on the Ongley service.
Corden also painted on china and copper and these found much success. In 1829 he went to Windsor to paint the portrait of Mr. Bachelor, one of George IV's pages, The picture was seen by Sir Herbert Taylor, Private Secretary to His Majesty, who showed it to the King who asked:" Who done it? Is he a dandy, a chattering man, or a public house man?" When he was told that Corden was none of these things, His Majesty commissioned him to paint his favorite dog. He went on to paint many portraits for George IV and worked for William IV and Queen Victoria.