Wigs on the Green - Portrait Miniatures, Silhouettes & Portraits

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Item Ref. 3498

AUGUSTIN EDOUART (1789-1861)

This is a full-length silhouette portrait of a dashing young officer depicted in uniform with his dress sword. The officer is named on the reverse as Lord Charles Kerr of the 90th Light Infantry and the profile was taken in Glasgow on 25th April 1832.

Lord Charles Lennox Kerr was born in 1814, the second son of Robert Kerr, Marquis of Lothian. He rose to be a Lieutenant-Colonel of the Black Watch and aide-de-camp to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland. He married Charlotte Emma Hanmer in 1839 and had six children. Coincidentally his first cousin, Lady Letitia Louisa Kerr, was a talented silhouette artist.

The profile is in excellent condition. It is set in a bird's eye maple frame that has been glazed on the reverse to reveal the silhouettist's inscription.

Framed size: 135/8 x 8" (320 x 205mm)

Price: £425

As an ex-Bonapartist claiming asylum in Britain, Augustin Edouart discovered by chance, when he was challenged by a friend at a dinner-party, that he had a natural aptitude for cutting likenesses, so much so that he made a successful career of it. He toured extensively throughout the British Isles for several years cutting many hundreds of profiles including well-known authors, musicians, politicians and royalty. He kept an archive copy of every profile he cut meticulously annotating it with the sitter's details. In 1839 Edouart set sail for New York where he was likewise in great demand and where he toured successfully for ten years before deciding to retire to his native France in 1849. He nearly didn't make it though as his ship went down in a storm off Guernsey. Fortunately the passengers were all rescued but Edouart lost much of his precious archive of work and the will to continue with his work thereafter.

Item Ref. 3729

W. BARNES, active 1840s

This is a pretty full-length silhouette of a young lady holding a love letter. Her dress has a pleated bodice, a full skirt and Victoria sleeves that are puffed around the elbow and decorated with two buttons. She is also wearing a lovely bonnet that is trimmed with flowers and tied under the chin with ribbon with a lace-edged flap at the back to accommodate the lady's hair style.

The silhouette has been cut out and is finely gilded, with a touch of watercolour on the bonnet. It is signed and dated in pencil 'By W. Barnes/ 1843'. There is a small bruise to the paper in the bottom left corner but otherwise the condition is excellent. It is set in a period bird's eye maple frame with old bubbled glass.

Framed size: 12½ x 10½" (320 x 265mm)

Sale Pending !

In her book British Silhouette Artists and their Work, Sue McKechnie records two bust-length silhouettes cut in 1842 by an artist named R. W. Barnes and it seems probable that this silhouette is by the same hand.

Item Ref. 3624

EDWARD FOSTER, 1762-1865

This is a silhouette portrait of a stout, bald-headed gentleman named Mr Musgrave who was the father of the young lady below. He is wearing a double-breasted coat and frilled chemise.

The profile is painted on card and is one of Foster's 'red' profiles, so-termed because of the reddish-brown base colour that he favoured for a time. It is heavily embellished with fine gold mixed with gum arabic. The silhouette is set in the original papier-mâché frame with a hanger bearing Foster's name above the Royal crown.

Provenance: Ex. Sue McKechnie collection (with her label on the reverse)
Literature: British Silhouette Artists and their Work 1760-1860, page 476, illus. 776
Framed size: 71/4 x 57/8" (186 x 148mm)

Price: £265

Edwrad Foster, personalised hanger

Item Ref. 3646

STUDIO OF MIERS AND FIELD

This is a fine quality silhouette showing an unnamed gentleman from the Stainforth Family. He is wearing a double-breasted coat over a frilled chemise and deep stock.

The silhouette is painted on ivory and is expertly bronzed with a lot of fine detailing. It is signed 'Miers' under the bust-line and is set in a traditional papier-mâché frame with a gilt-metal mount and elongated leaf hanger.

Framed size: 4¼ x 37/8" (110 x 98mm)

Price: £475

Item Ref. 3106

ENGLISH SCHOOL, circa 1788

This is a very wearable 18th century memorial ring featuring a painted silhouette portrait of Elizabeth Wood. Her details are engraved on the underside: Eliz. Wood Ob. [i.e. died] 14 May 1788 Aet [i.e. aged] 64. The silhouette is surrounded by a finely painted border and housed within a beautifully engraved gold setting.

The silhouette is painted on ivory and is covered with a panel of crystal. The setting is gold though unmarked which is usual for an antique piece. The ring is a UK size S or a US size 9.25 approx. The navette front measures approx. 26 x 16mm.
Excellent condition; the band may have been enlarged at a time.

Price: £1,200

Silhouette rings are very rare. Most of the known examples were painted by John Field during the period 1793 to 1840 but this piece is earlier. It's possible this may be the work of Samuel Houghton (d. 1796) who advertised 'profile shades ... reduced so small as to set in Rings, Pins ... &c.' or of Mrs M. Lane Kelfe who was active around 1778-1794.

Item Ref. 3633

AUGUSTIN EDOUART, 1789-1861

This is a fine example of the skilled workmanship of the celebrated silhouettist Augustin Edouart depicting a gentleman wearing an academic gown over a tail-coat. He appears to be holding a pair of gloves in his clasped hands. As before, the profile is exceptionally well cut - note especially the eyebrow in addition to the eyelash as well as the collar line and the single buttonhole. The profile is inscribed in pencil on the reverse with the sitter's name - Frederick Thackeray MD, Cambridge.

Frederick Thackeray was the son of Thomas Thackeray, one of the original surgeons to Addenbrooke’s Hospital, Cambridge in 1766. Frederick succeeded his father as a surgeon in 1796 and later qualified as a physician, transferring from the surgical staff to the medical staff in 1827. He was the brother of William Makepeace Thackeray, author of the much-loved classic novel Vanity Fair.

The silhouette is signed: 'Augn Edouart fecit 1828' and is set in what appears to be the original handsome bird's eye maple veneer frame with gilt slip. The silhouette is in excellent condition though the frame has two old wormholes on the front.

Framed size: 14 x 101/8" (186 x 148mm)

Price: £650

As an ex-Bonapartist claiming asylum in Britain, Augustin Edouart discovered by chance, when he was challenged by a friend at a dinner-party, that he had a natural aptitude for cutting likenesses, so much so that he made a successful career of it. He toured extensively throughout the British Isles for several years cutting many hundreds of profiles including some well-known figures of the day including authors, musicians, politicians and royalty. He then set sail for New York where he was likewise in demand and where he toured successfully for ten years before deciding to retire to his native home in 1849. He nearly didn't make it as his ship went down in a storm off Guernsey. Fortunately the passengers were all rescued but Edouart lost much of his precious archive of work and the will to continue with his work thereafter.

John Field, rare Antwerp blue silhouette of William Pitt

Item Ref. 3156

JOHN FIELD, 1772-1848

This is a tiny painted silhouette portrait of William Pitt, 'Pitt the Younger', (1759-1806). It is painted on ivory in the rare shade of Antwerp blue and bronzed and is signed Field under the truncation. It is set in a later gilded silver frame with edge beading. Excellent condition.

Educated at Cambridge and at Lincoln's Inn, Pitt entered Parliament in 1781 originally aligning himself with prominent Whigs. In 1783 he was appointed Prime Minister becoming, at the age of 24, Britain's youngest Prime Minister ever. His administration survived for 17 years; he resigned in 1801 only to return three years later remaining in post until his death in 1806. He left debts of £40,000 which Parliament agreed to settle. Pitt was honoured by a public funeral and monument and was buried in Westminster Abbey.

Literature: See McKechnie, British Silhouette Artists and their Work 1760-1860, page 697 for a similar silhouette of Pitt. See also page 398 where the author discusses how the profile of Pitt was painted after a bust by Joseph Nollekens in turn taken from a death-mask.

Size: 3/4 x 5/8 " (19 x 15mm)

Price: £600

Alongside John Miers, with whom he worked, John Field is one of the finest silhouette artists. He enjoyed a long career based in London producing mostly bust-length profiles on plaster or ivory. His jewellery pieces are particularly fine examples of his work.

J. Thomason, 18th century silhouette painted on plaster

Item Ref. 3159

J. THOMASON, active 1786-ca.1800

This is a finely painted 18th century family group of three silhouette portraits showing Mr & Mrs Will Donald and their daughter Jean. Mr Donald is depicted in a distinctive bag wig; the ladies are both wearing dresses with fashionable buffoons. Mrs Donald is also wearing an indoor dormeuse cap with a ribbon trim while the younger lady wears her hair in long free tresses.

The profiles are painted on plaster and housed in the original hammered brass frames each inscribed on the reverse with two of them dated 1794.

Provenance: Moir Collection.
Literature: Sue McKechnie, British Silhouette Artists and their Work 1760-1860 - page 675, plates 1412-1415.
Framed size: 41/8 x 37/8" (120 x 100mm)

S O L D !

J. Thomason is known to have worked in the north of England and in Dublin though these profiles suggest he may also have travelled to Scotland.

Item Ref. 3114

JOHN FIELD, (1772-1848) at the studio of JOHN MIERS

This little piece is a gold frill brooch, so-named because a gentleman would have pinned it onto the frill of his shirt. It features a tiny painted and bronzed silhouette portrait of a young lady with her hair swept back in a knot.

Watercolour on ivory signed Miers. The silhouette is housed in a gold brooch setting.
Excellent condition.

Size: 1 x 7/8" (27 x 22mm)

Price: £425

Ranking amongst the finest silhouette artists, John Field began his career as an assistant to John Miers during the 1790s. Theirs was to be a long and prolific partnership lasting until the death of Miers in 1821 when the business was jointly willed to Field and Miers' son William. Most of the profiles painted on ivory at the studio of John Miers were actually painted by Field. He excelled at bronzing and his work in this area was unequalled.

Item Ref. 3491

ENGLISH SCHOOL, circa 1820

This is a cut and lightly bronzed silhouette portrait of a child with short curly hair wearing a wide-shouldered dress. A pencil inscription on the reverse names him as Robert Clarke.

The profile is housed in the original papier-mâché frame with brass surround and a traditional acorn hanger.

Framed size: 53/8 x 41/2" (136 x 117mm)

Price: £160

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Cynthia McKinley
Wigs on the Green Fine Art, York
Tel. +44 (0)1904 794711 Mobile: 07962 257915
Email: enquiries@wigsonthegreen.co.uk