A Spotted Cap

Finely painted on convex glass in black and shades of translucent grey, this silhouette shows a mature lady in a dress with a frilled bodice, a double ruff collar and a spotted mob cap secured under her chin. The detail of the lady’s curls has been achieved by scratching the paint with a needle.

Gibbs’ silhouettes were originally backed with wax but this was not robust and often cracked becoming unsightly. Here the wax has been replaced with card. The silhouette is housed in the original papier-mâché frame with a traditional acorn hanger and is backed with the artist’s trade label reverse which helps date the profile to the early 1800s.

Bedfordshire-born Hinton Gibbs took up silhouette painting whilst pursuing a career in the militia. His painting subsequently became a full-time occupation upon his discharge from the militia in 1815. Gibbs moved around the country, advertising locally as he went, and found plenty of work. He was later joined in the business by one of his daughters. A full account of Hinton Gibbs’ career can be enjoyed here.