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Lead image, collectible post-war British ceramic sculpture by Susan Parkinson, sharing stylistic affinities with Nicholas Vergette and William Newland.
Head on shot of Susan Parkinson commuter sculpture The 8.15, combining social realism with Modernist restraint in the tradition of post-war English ceramics.
Detail of a commuter reading the Times on a museum-level British Modernist ceramic sculpture by Susan Parkinson, influenced by Picassoettes approaches to form and surface.
The 8.15, a post-war British Modernist porcelain sculpture by Susan Parkinson, circa 1953, depicting English commuters with restrained humour and social observation.
The 8.15 porcelain sculpture by Susan Parkinson, a quietly humorous interpretation of British identity in post-war Modernism.
From the side, rare English Modernist ceramic figure group The 8.15, designed and made by Susan Parkinson in the early 1950s.
Side view of a Museum-quality post-war British ceramic sculpture by Susan Parkinson, whose work developed alongside Margaret Hine and the Picassoettes.
Susan Parkinson figurative porcelain sculpture from 1953, a rare and brilliant example of post-war British Modernism. For sale in the UK.
Side view of a rare post-war British Modernist porcelain sculpture The 8.15, highly sought after by collectors of English studio ceramics.
English Modernist studio pottery sculpture by Susan Parkinson, whose work paralleled the Picassoettes including Margaret Hine.
Reverse view of rare Susan Parkinson porcelain sculpture The 8.15, an important example of English Modernism and post-war figurative ceramics.
Detail of broad brush stroke decoration on an English Modernist porcelain sculpture by Susan Parkinson, circa 1953, sharing aesthetic ground with William Newland and Nicholas Vergette.
Detail of nicely painted hair on a man. Susan Parkinson The 8.15 porcelain sculpture, a rare post-war British Modernist work aligned with Picassoettes-influenced studio ceramics.
Detail from above of commuters in a Post-war English Modernist porcelain sculpture by Susan Parkinson. The mid-century work is called 'The 8:15'.
Top down view showing nicely painted hair on the men featured in 'The 8.15' by Susan Parkinson, a rare and collectible example of post-war British Modernism in porcelain.
Looking down on to the heads in a Susan Parkinson porcelain sculpture depicting British commuters, an iconic post-war Modernist work influenced by contemporary studio ceramic movements.
Head on shot of base of The 8.15 by Susan Parkinson, a rare and collectible post-war British ceramic sculpture connected to the Picassoettes. This incredibly rare piece of mid-century pottery and many others for sale from design gallery Art & Utility, UK.
Detail of base of a Post-war British porcelain sculpture by Susan Parkinson, reflecting the expressive figurative language seen in Picassoettes work by Newland and Hine.
Close-up of manufacturing flaw on a collectible mid-century English porcelain figure group by Susan Parkinson, The 8.15, capturing the character of post-war British commuter life.
Detail of impressed makers mark stamp on a Post-war British Modernist ceramic sculpture by Susan Parkinson, reflecting the influence of the Picassoettes including William Newland, Margaret Hine, and Nicholas Vergette.
Parkinson Pottery

Susan Parkinson 'The 8:15' Commuters Sculpture

£820.00 £0.00
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A distinctly British porcelain sculpture titled The 8.15, depicting three gentlemen absorbed in their newspapers, designed and made by Susan Parkinson around 1953.

The three figures are, with gentle humour, commuters on the 8.15 train from Ashford to London. Parkinson originally conceived the model for the American market, where buyers requested typically British things.

Although each and every country has its commuters, it is true that no one sits on trains quite like the British. Inspiration for Susan’s portrayal of those on their journey from Kent came from her brother-in-law, Alick, who made this trip each day.

He would complete The Times crossword while observing his fellow passengers, later reporting on their habits to Susan with great amusement. She found these descriptions irresistibly comic, ‘very English’, and set about capturing what she perceived as the tight-lipped British character in clay; unsmiling and resolutely self-contained.

In her own words she memorably summarised; “we do not speak to our neighbours, we do not ask them the answer to 16 across.” [1]

This large example of Parkinson’s work is finished in her preferred colourway, an inky black glaze with an attractive greenish tinge. The piece is overglazed in clear, achieved by firing the sculpture a second time.

In Cashmore and Smith-Vincent’s book, a photograph of this design shows the left-hand commuter reading a different newspaper. In their illustrated example he reads the Herald, whereas this model features Alick’s paper of choice, The Times.

[1] p.28, Cashmore, Carol and Vincent-Smith, Tim. 'Susan Parkinson and the Richard Parkinson Pottery' (Carol Cashmore, 2004).

Model Name: ‘The 8:15’

Designer: Susan Parkinson 

Manufacturer: Parkinson Pottery 

Year of Design: C. 1953

Dates Produced: C. 1953-58

Colour: Black, green white 

Height: 15.5 cm, Width: 26 cm, Depth: 8 cm 

Condition: Excellent. In the same condition it left the workshop in. Please note rough areas to base from manufacture.

Branding: Impressed with a test mark, and with ‘Richard Parkinson Pottery’ (pre-1954 when the pottery became Ltd., and this was incorporated into the stamp).