Work Box

Birch veneered on pine

UK, likely London

Late 18th century

This box's top is painted with a scene that depicts a young child being inducted into the cult of the Vestal Virgins. The scene is rendered in monochromatic hues, as if the painter had chosen to leave the world of colour behind and let the purity of black and beige do the talking.

The sides of the box featured pastoral scenes, Arcadian idylls where sheep graze on verdant hills and a cart rolls along in the sunshine. But one panel stands out, unmistakably a view of Osterley House, the estate where the box was most likely made for. The artist had captured the essence of its grand façade and its fashionable English style gardens, all framed by the rolling hills of the then english countryside.

• Purchased from Peter Philp 1988

• Private collection