Item Ref. 3703

ENGLISH SCHOOL, 1838

This is a delightful miniature portrait of a little blue-eyed baby with chubby arms and legs seated on a red plush drape. The child is holding large gold rattle and is wearing a voluminous white dress with a lace bodice and tiny sleeves trimmed with blue ribbon bows, and a delicate lace cap. The backing card is dated Nov. 20th 1838 and is inscribed with the child's name which appears to be Eperton F. M. MacCarthy. Also tucked inside the frame is a 19th century trade card for Andrew Vacani, a London picture framer who offers to send workmen to any part of the Kingdom.

Watercolour on ivory, housed in a deep gilt wood frame with convex glass and a beaded edge and inner decorative border.

Framed size: 6¾ x 5¾ x 17/8" (171 x 147 x 46mm)

Price: £450

 

Item Ref. 2951

IRISH SCHOOL, circa 1910

A fine portrait from the Edwardian period of a demure society lady wearing a diaphanous lilac dress and a single strand of pearls. Her chestnut brown hair is rolled and upswept according to the fashion of the day. The atmospheric backdrop is a landscape with trees and flowers set before a purple/blue sky.

Unsigned portrait painted on ivory and set in the original gilt metal frame backed with velvet. Excellent condition.

Portrait: 23/4 x 21/4" (72 x 58mm)

Price: £365

 

 

Item Ref. 2885

ENGLISH SCHOOL, circa 1810-20

This is an unusual portrait of a young lady seated by an open paint-box and, with a paint-brush in her hand, is displaying one of her paintings. It suggests this may be a self-portrait. The lady is wearing a short-sleeved black dress trimmed with white lace, coral drop earrings and a coral necklace. Her hair is arranged in short ringlets to the side with a bunch of tight curls on top, a style that was fashionable around 1800-1820.

Watercolour on ivory, housed in a traditional papier-mâché frame with convex glass and an emblems (rose, thistle shamrock) hanger.

Framed size: 6 x 51/8" (152 x 131mm)

S O L D !

 

 

 

Item Ref. 3751

ENGLISH SCHOOL, circa 1830

This is a particularly interesting portrait as it depicts a young man who worked as a valet at a school. Annotated portraits of servants are rarely seen. The young man is named on the back as James Siddles, valet at Camm's School in Derbyshire. Seen in profile, he is smartly dressed in a black coat over a blue and white sprigged waistcoat and has a 'William Tell' top hat. Presumably James acted as a companion/'man' to the privileged pupils of wealthy parents by running errands and, one can only imagine, covering up their misdemeanours.

Watercolour on card, housed in a traditional papier-mâché frame with convex glass and an acorn hanger.

Framed size: 6 x 51/8" (152 x 131mm)

S O L D !

Camm's School was founded in 1702 when Thomas Camm gave an endowment to build a schoolhouse and to employ a schoolmaster to teach 24 poor children in the parish of Eckington in north east Derbyshire. The school was divided into two parts: the quarter end for children of people in good circumstances, who paid their school fees quarterly; and the national end for children of the labouring class, who each paid one penny per week, and were given free slates and copy books. No child was allowed in the national end who did not attend the Church Sunday School or who had not been baptised in the Church of England. The school is still in operation today though it has moved buildings at least twice during its long history.

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