An Old Dear

An unframed cut and painted silhouette with a hint of gilding of a mature lady seated in an armchair holding a letter in one hand and her spectacles in the other. Well-painted with good detailing especially to the folds of her skirt and to her lace cap and pelèrine.

Cut and painted around 1830-40, the silhouette is most likely by William Dyer Beaumont known as the ‘Cheltenham Cutter’. His signature often appears along the bottom edge but may have been lost as the silhouette has almost certainly been trimmed. Some browning commensurate with age.