The Blue Sash

Sourced locally in the artist’s home city of York, this head and shoulders pastel portrait shows a little boy with blue eyes and long strawberry blonde hair cut in a fringe. He wears a shirt with a wide frill-edged collar over a black jacket and buff trousers, his hand tucked into his cerulean blue sash.

Although unsigned, the portrait can be firmly attributed to the hand of Lewis Vaslet (1742-1808). It is presented in a Georgian pressed brass frame with a pie-crust edge.

Descended from Huguenots, Lewis Vaslet was born in 1742 in York where his father ran a boarding school for young ladies. An initial career in the army was short-lived as he quickly turned to painting small portraits. He moved to Bath around 1775 but returned regularly to his home city of York especially during the race season when he would have been assured of a distinguished clientele. In addition to small pastel portraits, Vaslet painted miniature portraits and drawings of animals and flowers. Some of his portraits were engraved.