George Tinworth
Born 5 November 1843
Died 10 September 1913
Active: 1861 - 1913
Country of birth and death: England
Modeller, sculptor, potter's modeller
Born at 6 Milk Street, Walworth, London. Tinworth was initially apprenticed to his father (Joshua Tinworth) as a wheelwright, but enrolled at Lambeth School of Art in 1861. His success as a modeller allowed him to enter the Royal Academy Schools in 1864. Tinworth joined the Royal Doulton Potteries, Lambeth, in 1867, and remained there until his death in 1913. He was given special status by the firm; Tinworth had his own studio and assistants and was also allowed to undertake external commissions.
He exhibited at the Royal Academy between 1866-85 where his work attracted the attention of John Ruskin. This led the architect, George Edmund Street to commission a large crucifixion panel for the reredos at York Minster (1876), twenty-eight panels for the Guards’ Chapel, Wellington Barracks (1878). There followed many other commissions for ecclesiastical works. Although Tinworth was chiefly known for his religious pieces, he was also commissioned to produce some public statuary, including the terracotta statue of Henry Fawcett in Vauxhall Park. He also created numerous decorative works which, in addition to decorated pots, comprised small figurines and statuettes of children and animals.
Tinworth was made an officer of the French and American Academies, and received many other medals and prizes. He died on Putney Railway Station whilst travelling from his home at 8 Maze Road, Kew, Surrey to his studio in Lambeth. There is a significant body of Tinworth's work in the Victoria and Albert Museum and there was a much larger collection amassed by Harriman Judd, and displayed at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art. However this collection was sold by Sotheby's in 2001. It is assumed that many of the pieces were dispersed.
Wealth at death: £549 9s. 6d.
Probate date: 8 October 1913
Works
Dates are usually the year a work was exhibited so may differ from date of production.
New entries have been made each time a work was exhibited. Click here for more information.
Contributed to Niche with terra-cotta group of Madonna and Child
made group (1889 ACES exhibition catalogue)
Moses Brought to Pharaoh's Daughter
1897 (Presumed)
£40
Locations
Address 5 Hope Street Walworth London | View on map
1866 (Circa) - 1885 (Circa)
Address 40 Thomas Street Lambeth London | View on map
1871
Address 122 Hill Street Lambeth London | View on map
1881 (Circa)
Address 8 Maze Road Richmond London | View on map
1891
Address Lambeth Pottery London | View on map
1897 (Presumed)
Exhibitions, Meetings, Awards and other Events
Exhibited at The Exhibition of the Royal Academy of Arts (Summer Exhibition), 1768-
1866 - 1885
Exhibited 11 times, eighteen works in all
Exhibited at Liverpool autumn exhibition of modern pictures: the fifth (Free Public Library and Museum, Liverpool), 1875
1875
Terra Cotta Plaque (cat. no. 1088, £6 6s.); Stoneware Plaque - The Raising of Lazarus (cat. no. 1104, £6 6s.).
Exhibited at Autumn exhibition of modern pictures: the eleventh (Walker Art Gallery, Liverpool), 1881
1881
'While men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat, and went his way' (cat. no. 1416, not for sale); Triumphal Entry of Christ into Jerusalem (cat. no. 1425, not for sale).
Exhibited at Liverpool autumn exhibition of modern pictures: the thirteenth (Walker Art Gallery, Liverpool), 1883
1883
Meeting of Jacob and Joseph (cat. no. 1620, £175).
Exhibited at Liverpool autumn exhibition of modern pictures: the fourteenth (Walker Art Gallery, Liverpool), 1884
1884
Haman and Mordecai (cat. no. 2260, £31 10s.); Rebekah at the Well (cat. no. 2271, £15 15s.); The Man God (cat. no. 2273, £15 15s.).
Exhibited at Autumn exhibition of pictures, in oil and water-colours: the fifteenth (Walker Art Gallery, Liverpool), 1885
1885
Waiting for the Head of John the Baptist (cat. no. 1428, terracotta, not for sale); Jesus in the House of Lazarus (cat. no. 1429, terracotta, not for sale).
Exhibited at Autumn exhibition of modern pictures in oil and water-colours: the twenty-first (Walker Art Gallery, Liverpool), 1891
1891
Joseph and Mary Searching for the Child Jesus (cat. no. 1265, terracotta relief, sketch p. 9, £20).
Exhibited at Autumn exhibition of modern pictures in oil and water-colours: the twenty-fourth (Walker Art Gallery, Liverpool), 1894
1894
Model of the Fawcett Memorial (cat. no. 1298, illustrated p. 119, £50).
Exhibited at Autumn exhibition of modern pictures in oil and water-colours: the twenty-sixth (Walker Art Gallery, Liverpool), 1896
1896
The Song of Miriam (cat. no. 1229, illustrated on p. 124, £80).
Exhibited at Exhibition of the Bristol Academy, Works of Modern Artists, The Fifty-Second, 1897
1897
Institutional and Business Connections
Employee of Doulton and Co. Limited
1867 - 1913
Tinworth was Doulton's principal modeller for most of this period and was given his own studio and assistants
Studied at Royal Academy Schools
1865 - 1867 (Presumed)
Awarded a silver medal for the 'second best Model from the Antique' in 1865. See Royal Academy 'Annual Report', (1867), p. 16. Tinworth was also awarded a silver medal for the best model from the life in 1867. See Royal Academy 'Annual Report', (1868), p. 23.
Personal and Professional Connections
Collaborated with Arthur Bloomfield
Collaborated with F. Curley
Collaborated with J. W. King
Worked with John Bell
1874 (Circa) - 1876 (Circa)
On the reproduction in terracotta of the 11ft. tall 'America' group (Albert Memorial) to be sent as the centrepiece of the Doulton display to the American Centennial Exhibition, Philadelphia, 1876. Bell is said to have suggested to Henry Doulton that Tinworth worked with him on the group.
Descriptions of Practice
Occupation given in Census Returns of England and Wales, 1881
'Artist sculptor'
Occupation given in Census Returns of England and Wales, 1871
'Moddler'
Occupation given in Census Returns of England and Wales, 1891
'Artist in Clay molding' [this last word could be 'mdding' as the second and third letters are indistinct] worker
Occupation given in Census Returns of England and Wales, 1911
'Modeller to the Doultons Potters Lambeth' worker for 40 (or 44) years [the number has been corrected and is not clearly legible]
Sources
Arts and Crafts Exhibition Society: Papers relating to the founding of the Society
1888 (Circa)
'National Exhibition of the Arts'. Listed as one of 20 sculptors invited to be part of selection and hanging committee.
Arts and Crafts Society: Catalogue of the Second Exhibition.
1889
p.255.
Autumn exhibition of modern pictures in oil and water-colours: the twenty-fourth, 1894 Walker Art Gallery, Liverpool
1894
pp. 49-52.
Autumn exhibition of modern pictures in oil and water-colours: the twenty-sixth, 1896 Walker Art Gallery, Liverpool
1896
pp. 45-48.
Autumn exhibition of pictures, in oil and water-colours: the fifteenth, 1885 Walker Art Gallery, Liverpool
1885
pp. 85-87.
Census Returns of England and Wales, 1871
2004
Class: RG10; Piece: 676; Folio: 108; Page: 41; GSU roll: 823330
Census Returns of England and Wales, 1881
2004
RG11 piece 540 folio 61 page 40
Census Returns of England and Wales, 1891
2004
Class: RG12; Piece: 622; Folio: 73; Page: 27; GSU roll: 6095732
Census Returns of England and Wales, 1911
2011
Reference RG14PN3604 RG78PN135 RD41 SD1 ED24 SN219
Liverpool autumn exhibition of modern pictures, 1875 Walker Art Gallery
1875
pp. 41-42.
Liverpool autumn exhibition of modern pictures, 1881 Walker Art Gallery
1881
pp. 81-82.
Liverpool autumn exhibition of modern pictures, 1883 Walker Art Gallery
1883
pp. 93-94.
Liverpool autumn exhibition of modern pictures, 1884 Walker Art Gallery
1884
pp. 129-132.
Oxford Dictionary of National Biography
2004
R. P. Bedford, ‘Tinworth, George (1843–1913)’, rev. Peter Rose, Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, Oxford University Press, 2004 [http://www.oxforddnb.com/view/article/36525, accessed 25 Sept 2010]
Citing this record
'George Tinworth', Mapping the Practice and Profession of Sculpture in Britain and Ireland 1851-1951, University of Glasgow History of Art and HATII, online database 2011 [http://sculpture.gla.ac.uk/view/person.php?id=msib4_1255620262, accessed 10 Jun 2023]
