Enquiries and orders: enquiries@wigsonthegreen.co.uk
Images can be enlarged by clicking on them
| Next Page

 

Item Ref. 3441

ENGLISH SCHOOL, circa 1800-1840

This is a sweet silhouette portrait of a young child in a short-sleeved dress and beaded necklace seated holding a teething rattle. It's impossible to tell whether it's a boy or a girl.

The silhouette is cut out and nicely gilded to bring out all the detail of the dress and the hair. It is housed in the original rosewood frame with gilt slip and old glass.

Framed size: 73/8 x 63/8" (188 x 164mm)

S O L D !

Cut and gilded silhouette of a baby

Cut and gilded silhouette of a baby

 

Item Ref. 3353

PROSOPOGRAPHUS, the AUTOMATON ARTIST, 1829

This is a finely painted silhouette portrait of an elegant lady, named on the reverse as Mrs Thring. Her hair is drawn up into a knot and secured with a large comb with soft curls around her forehead. The profile is inscribed on the obverse: ‘done by an Automaton 1829’.

Housed in a giltwood frame with attractive hand-stencilled decoration.

Framed size: 6½ x 5" (164 x 128mm)

Price: £180

Given the date and the fact that the bust-line closely matches that on a labelled Prosopographus profile in the Willcocks collection, it seems certain that the Automaton was indeed that mechanical device invented by Charles Hervé II for drawing the outline of silhouettes. He named his device ‘Prosopographus, the Automaton Artist’ and exhibited it around England as a great curiosity. A contemporary handbill claimed that it could ‘produce more perfect resemblances than any living artist [could] possibly execute’.

Painted silhouette by Prosopographus the Automaton Artist

Painted silhouette by Prosopographus the Automaton Artist

Hubard Gallery, pair of full-length cut silhouettes

Hubard Gallery, pair of full-length cut silhouettes

Hubard Gallery silhouette portraits

Item Ref. 3377

HUBARD GALLERY, active 1822-circa 1845

This is pair of full-length cut silhouettes of a lady and a gentleman each depicted in a landscape: he in a buttoned tail-coat, black stock and square-toed shoes; she in a dress with wide (probably gigot) sleeves and a lace collar that matches her capote cap that is worn with the ribbons untied. In her gloved hand she holds a open gilt-edged book that is particularly well painted.

The profiles are cut-outs with Chinese white and watercolour detailing on their clothes and gilding in the hair and on the lady's book. They each have unusually detailed watercolour backgrounds with trees and fields with houses and a distant church. Each frame is backed with the Hubard Gallery trade label (no. 9) that advertises "an exact likeness, with a Frame & Glass ... for ONE SHILLING". The lady is additionally stamped on the front: TAKEN AT THE HUBARD GALLERY. They are housed in the original bird's eye maple veneer frames with gilt slips.

The background card of each profile has some age-spotting and curiously the top left corner of each has been clipped though this is less noticeable in the frame as they are backed with similarly coloured card. One frame has a small loss of veneer to one corner and a curious hole in the gilt slip (a hungry mouse perhaps?).

Three more curious things to note: the profile of the gentleman has been extended by the artist by approximately ¼", presumably to better fit his frame; the inside of the one of the backing boards reveals the clear outline of two bust-length silhouettes suggesting that they were blackened by the artist after cutting which is of technical interest; and finally, (and they don't get much weirder than this) both backing boards have subsequently been used to record in pencil the players in what appears to be a football team!

Framed size: 141/2 x 101/4" (368 x 261mm)

S O L D !

Hubard Gallery, pair of full-length cut silhouettesHubard Gallery, pair of full-length cut silhouettesHubard Gallery trade label no. 9

The Hubard Gallery was set up in 1822 by a businessman seeking to exploit the talents of the child artist, William James Hubard. Other silhouettists were employed to work alongside Master Hubard so the style of work that emanated from the Gallery varied considerably. The Gallery toured extensively around the British Isles and the United States.

Item Ref. 3325

ENGLISH SCHOOL, circa 1840

This is a well-cut and detailed silhouette conversation piece showing three children: the eldest girl, Pauline, wearing an ankle-length dress and short cape, stands holding her bonnet; opposite her is Maggie, also in an ankle-length dress, holding a painted flower; in the middle is their little brother, Cassin, in a knee-length dress, jacket and neck-tie, holding his bonnet by its ribbons.

Each child's name has been written in pencil above them. They are standing on a watercolour base swirled to represent an interior carpet. The silhouette is not signed but is strongly reminiscent of the plain work produced by the Royal Victoria Gallery run by the Frith brothers between 1837 and 1854. The silhouette resides in a handsome bird's eye maple veneer frame with gilt slip.

Framed size: 12 x 15" (307 x 382mm)

S O L D !

Cut silhouette conversation piece of children

Cut silhouette conversation piece of children

Hinton Gibbs, silhouette portrait of a child wearing a coral necklace

Hinton Gibbs, silhouette portrait of a child wearing a coral necklaceHinton Gibbs, trade label

Item Ref. 3129

HINTON GIBBS, active late 1790s - circa 1822

This is a charming silhouette portrait of a young child in a wide-shouldered dress trimmed with lace and tied at the waist with ribbon. She has short curly hair and is wearing a coral bead necklace. Coral was often worn by children at this time as it was commonly believed to ward off evil spirits.

The profile is reverse-painted on convex glass using the finger-printing method and stippling for the fine detail. But what makes this profile special is the rare touch of colour used for the child's necklace. It is backed with the original wax and housed in a traditional papier-mâché frame with a cornucopia hanger. The wax has hairline cracks which is often the case with Gibbs's profiles due to the poor quality wax that he favoured. The frame is backed with the artist's trade label no. 5 on blue paper inscribed with his London address in Queen Street, Chelsea. This label is known to have been in use in 1817.

Framed size: 51/8 x 41/8" (130 x 107mm)

S O L D !

Hinton Gibbs had a dual career as a silhouettist and as a local militiaman. He signed up initially as a drummer around 1793 and did not leave the army until 1815, avoiding Waterloo by just a few months. His work is always of a high quality though the wax he used to back his profiles was not durable and so has often been replaced with card.

 

Item Ref. 3206

EDWARD FOSTER, (1762-1865)

A silhouette portrait of a gentleman with side-whiskers, named on the reverse as Mr Batley, facing right and wearing a double-breasted coat, white waistcoat and white cravat.

This is one of Foster's 'red' profiles, so-termed because of the reddish-brown background colour that he favoured for a time. The profile is heavily embellished in fine gold mixed with gum arabic. It is signed and dated under the bust-line 'Foster Huddersfield Pinx. 1825' and is housed in a papier-mâché frame with a traditional acorn hanger.

Framed size: 51/8 x 43/8" (131 x 112mm)

Price: £175

The son of a gentleman land-steward, Edward Foster joined the Derbyshire militia at an early age. During the next 25 years he saw active service during the War of American Independence and then in Holland and Egypt. A few years after retiring from the army Foster forged a new career in painting with early success that included Royal patronage and his own apartment at Windsor Castle. By the 1820s he had returned home to Derby where he continued to run a successful portrait studio only retiring officially upon his 100th birthday. He was 102 years old when he died having been married five times with 17 children, only the youngest of whom outlived him.

Edward Foster, signed silhouette of a gentleman

Edward Foster, signed silhouette of a gentleman

Edward Foster, signed silhouette of a gentleman

Rare 18th century silhouette ring

Rare 18th century silhouette ringRare 18th century silhouette ring

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: £1200

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.
J. Thomason, 18th century silhouette painted on plaster
J. Thomason, 18th century silhouette painted on plaster
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)

Price: £1200

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.

J. Thomason, 18th century silhouette painted on plaster

Cut and gilded silhouette portrait

Cut and gilded silhouette portrait

Item Ref. 3402

ENGLISH SCHOOL, circa 1830

This is a cut and gilded silhouette portrait of a pretty young lady dressed for the evening in a wide-shouldered dress with a gathered bodice and wide 'imbecile' sleeves. Her hair is fashionably draped over her ears and drawn back into plaited knot. She has long pendant gold earrings.

The silhouette has a couple of age-spots but is otherwise in good clean condition. It is framed with a gilt-edged card mount in a lovely deep rosewood frame with a gilt slip.

Silhouette to view: 3 x 21/4" (80 x 58mm)
Framed size: 7 x 63/8" (180 x 162mm)

S O L D !

 

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.

 

John Field in the studio of John Miers, jewellery antique silhouette

John Field in the studio of John Miers, jewellery antique silhouetteJohn Field in the studio of John Miers, jewellery antique silhouette
Go back to the top
| Next Page

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