The Peruke

“His wig had a pound of hair and two pounds of powder in it.” – Mrs Centlivre, The Gamester

This steely-eyed gentleman has not shied away from making a fashion statement with his peruke which has been with toupee irons to create volume and frizz. He wears a grey coat with a fashionably deep collar and large buttons over a chestnut waistcoat and a frilled shirt front.

Original gold frame that is enclosed on the reverse.

The portrait dates to the 1780s when the artist Charles Shirreff was established at Covent Garden. The son of a wealthy Scottish wine merchant, Shirreff went deaf at the age of three and communicated by sign language. Accompanied by his father, he travelled to London in 1768 where he entered the Royal Academy Schools. Shirreff went on to become a successful miniaturist with a notable clientele and in 1778 obtained permission to travel to India. This ambition was not fulfilled though until 1797 by which time his father had died so he travelled alone. India suited him and his studio prospered but he decided to return to England in 1809 where he married and continued to paint and exhibit.

Ivory Exemption Ref.: 6KJN71C9