J.W. Bradley Old Watermarks Ferry up the Severn in Worcester

Worcestershire River Severn & Teme Valley: J.W. Bradley early 19th-century Gouaches

This painting forms part of a charming collection of works that we have for sale depicting views in the Teme Valley and on the River Severn near Worcester. Locations include Shelsley Kings, Stanford on Teme and Hallow Park in the Worcestershire countryside, a rural landscape of hop plantations and riverside meadows. The serpentine Teme and Severn were a popular escape for day trippers by pleasure steamer from Worcester, who would come to enjoy the activities such as boating and bathing. The pictures reference the 'Ketch Inn', an ancient waterman's inn, which was a popular stopping point, the 'Old Watermarks Ferry', one of the numerous ferries that operated across the Severn, and a 'bathing barge', one of a number of old barges set into the riverbank to provide a stable and easy entry point into the water.

The artist appears to be a J.W. Bradley, who is possibly James Watson Bradley (1790–1865) of J. Bradley & Co in Pall Mall, decorators and purveyors of high quality porcelain. The Bradley name was long associated with ceramics, originating with Samuel Bradley, who was a founding figure in the Worcester china industry in the 18th century. John Bradley, brother of James Watson, was a chinaman and miniature painter who moved to London from Shropshire to attend the Royal Academy Schools, and in around 1812 set up as a china manufacturer in Pall Mall. After John's death, his brothers, James Watson Bradley and Andrew Bradley, continued the prestigious business, supplying porcelain to royalty and reportedly teaching the art of china decorating to 'the aristocracy'. The family maintained close ties with Worcestershire, retaining property in Great Malvern. The exceptionally fine work produced by J. Bradley & Co included a dessert service for the Biddulph family of Ledbury Park, Herefordshire, which was decorated with local views of Worcestershire and Herefordshire in a decorative style evocative of the paintings in this collection. It certainly seems plausible that our paintings could be the work of a successful china artist with a strong association with the Worcester area.