Pair of Portraits, Josiah and Sarah Wedgwood

Unknown Artist
, Portrait of Josiah Wedgewood 
(1730 - 1795)
English School, 1870’s
 Oil on Canvas
14 ½ × 11 ¾ in. 
framed: 16 × 19 in. 

English potter, entrepreneur, and social reformer, Josiah Wedgwood transformed ceramic production through innovation, refined design, and meticulous craftsmanship. As founder of the Wedgwood pottery works, he helped elevate English ceramics to international acclaim while championing artistic collaboration and industrial progress.

Beyond his achievements in the decorative arts, Wedgwood was a committed abolitionist. He produced the now-iconic anti-slavery medallion bearing the inscription “Am I Not a Man and a Brother?” a powerful symbol that helped rally public support for the abolition movement throughout Britain and beyond. This portrait captures a figure whose legacy shaped both art history and social change.

Unknown Artist
, Portrait of Sarah Wedgewood 
(1734 - 1815)
English School, 1870’s
Oil on Canvas
14 ½ × 11 ¾ in. 
framed: 16 × 19 in. 

Sarah Wedgwood was a steadfast partner in one of Britain’s most influential families of the eighteenth century. While less visible in the historical record than her husband, she helped sustain the household from which the Wedgwood enterprise and its philanthropic ideals flourished. Together, Josiah and Sarah raised a family whose descendants would continue to influence science, industry, and culture—including their grandson, the naturalist Charles Darwin.

Painted with quiet dignity and understated elegance, this portrait reflects the refined simplicity favored by many British portraitists of the late Georgian era. Displayed alongside her husband’s likeness, it offers a glimpse into the personal lives behind one of England’s most enduring artistic and humanitarian legacies.

Price: $7,500 for the pair