Vase with a Briar Rose, Albert R. Valentine, Rookwood Pottery, height 40 cm, 1886.
American artist Albert Robert Valentine (1862-1925) is best known for his work as chief artist at the Rookwood Pottery and for his watercolor paintings of botanical themes.
Valentine was born in Cincinnati, Ohio, the son of Anne Marie Voltaire and Frederick Valentine, and showed great artistic talent from an early age. He attended the University of Cincinnati School of Design, where he studied porcelain painting. In 1881, Valentine went to work for the Rookwood Pottery Company, one of the most successful American porcelain companies, and eventually became head of the art ceramics department.
Vase depicting the Lady’s slipper orchid, Albert R. Valentine, Rookwood Pottery, height 35 cm, 1898.
An accomplished artist, Albert R. Valentine has created many botanical studies on paper and translated them into ceramics with meticulously crafted detail and a loving eye. This vase with wild roses is one of the beautiful examples of such works. In addition to floral motifs, he created beautiful scenes with birds, the underwater world, and was inspired by the art of Japan. In 1900 he received a gold medal at the Paris Exhibition for his work at Rookwood. His ceramic works, as well as his paintings and still lifes, are highly sought after by collectors.
In 1903, Valentine and his wife visited Southern California, spending several months with Anna’s brother in a small community southeast of San Diego. During this trip, Valentine created 135 drawings of California wildflowers, exhibiting the collection at the San Diego State Normal School (now San Diego State University).
Cherry Tree, glazed tablet, painted by Albert R. Valentine, Rookwood Pottery, 25 x 21 cm, circa 1895.Tiger’s Eye Vase with Jasmine, Albert R. Valentine, Rookwood Pottery, h 35 cm, 1886.
Fascinated by the beauty of California, the Valentines decided to leave Rookwood and moved to San Diego. In 1908, renowned philanthropist Ellen Browning Scripps commissioned Valentine to paint a series of illustrations of wildflowers with the intention of publishing a collection of California flora. Over the next ten years, he created approximately 1,200 watercolor “botanical portraits” (as he called them) of wild flowers, grasses, ferns and trees native to California. The collection was never published, and Valentine’s drawings were given to the San Diego Museum of Natural History in 1933.
Vase of Daffodils, Albert R. Valentine, Rookwood Pottery, height 25.5 cm, 1898.Vase depicting a cattleya orchid, Albert R. Valentine, Rookwood Pottery, height 37 cm, 1902.Vase of Sunflowers, Albert R. Valentine, Rookwood Pottery, height 52 cm, 1890.Thistle Vase, Albert R. Valentine, Rookwood Pottery, height 29 cm, 1903.Vase depicting dicentra (broken heart), Albert R. Valentine, Rookwood Pottery, height 30 cm, 1903.Vase depicting lilacs, Albert R. Valentine, Rookwood Pottery, height 28 cm, 1904.Jug depicting a blossoming apple branch, Albert R. Valentine, Rookwood Pottery, height 27 cm, 1889.Vase of Irises, Albert R. Valentine, Rookwood Pottery, height 42 cm, 1892.Vase depicting a hibiscus, Albert R. Valentine, Rookwood Pottery, height 34 cm, 1890.Matilija Poppies, ceramic tablet painted by Albert R. Valentine, Rookwood Pottery, 50 x 30 cm, circa 1900.Vase of Chrysanthemums, Albert R. Valentine, Rookwood Pottery, height 46 cm, 1888.Vase with Narcissus, Albert R. Valentine, Rookwood Pottery, height 30 cm, 1887Matt glazed vase painted with gladioli, Albert R. Valentine, Rookwood Pottery, height 30 cm, 1887.Iris Glaze vase with flying geese, painted by Albert R. Valentine, Rookwood Pottery, 36 cm high, circa 1904.Standard Glaze Vase with Fish and Seaweed, painted by Albert R. Valentine, Rookwood Pottery, 14 cm high, circa 1885.Rare sea green glazed vase with cranes in flight, Albert Robert Valentine, Rookwood Pottery, h 25 cm, 1896.Carpenteria californica (Anemone) from the Valentine Collection at the San Diego Museum of Natural History.Ceanothus tomentosus (California lilac), San Diego Museum of Natural History.Eschscholzia californica (California poppy), San Diego Museum of Natural History.Romneya trichocalyx (Matilia poppi), San Diego Museum of Natural History.Darlingtonia californica (California pitcher plant), San Diego Museum of Natural History.Cirsium occidentale (Thistle), San Diego Museum of Natural History.Heteromeles arbutifolia (Toyon), San Diego Museum of Natural History.Aesculus californica (California Buckeye), San Diego Museum of Natural History.Cylindropuntia bigelovii, (Teddy Bear Cholla), San Diego Museum of Natural History.Cylindropuntia bigelovii (Teddy Bear Cholla), San Diego Museum of Natural History.Albert Robert Valentine (1862 1925).