vin Wedgwood appointed Qiieens Potter 81 



perseverance, revived this lost art. The colours he 

 burnt in were fully as beautiful as the originals, and 

 susceptible of greater variety. These revivals, in the 

 newly-invented materials, soon caught the public eye 

 and occasioned a rapid demand for Wedgwood's pro- 

 ductions, as well as for those of the manufacturers who 

 so eagerly followed his example. 



Wedgwood was at Newport Street, London, at the 

 end of 1765 ; he then wrote to Bentley, still at Liver- 

 pool, on the subject of his occupations : " An epidemical 

 madness," he said, " reigns for Vases, which must be 

 gratified. I have five or six modellers and carvers at 

 work upon different branches, and a moulder constantly 

 in my house. I have seen the Italian vases, and like 

 them vastly ; have also seen some better prints of vases 

 than any I have, particularly for Bas-reliefs, and a 

 friend has promised to lend them to me." 



And again, in February 1766 : "Let all the hands 

 that can be spared and can work at Vases be employed 

 on them .... that the great demand for them here 

 may not be baulked. I could sell 50 or 100 worth 

 per day if I had them." 



At this time Wedgwood was patronised by some 

 of the principal artistic members of the aristocracy 

 by Lord Rockingham, Lord March, the Duke of 

 Northumberland, the Duke of Montagu, Sir Thomas 

 Gascoigne, and others, and was honoured with an 

 extraordinary commission from Catherine, Empress of 

 Russia. He was directed to make a very large service 



