A PAIR OF ENGLISH SILHOUETTES, EARLY 19TH CENTURY

Executed in black ink and heightened with white gouache, each portrait depicts a bust-length profile: one of a gentleman in coat and cravat, the other of a lady wearing an elaborate lace cap and gown with veil. Presented in period bird’s-eye maple veneer frames with gilt slips, both retaining old backing boards and hanging wires.

Note: Silhouettes became fashionable in Britain in the late 18th and early 19th centuries as a popular and affordable form of portraiture before the advent of photography. The addition of white highlights, particularly for lace and costume detail, was a technique employed by finer silhouette artists to enhance elegance and individuality.

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Dimensions: 5 1/8 x 4 1/8 in., (13 x 10.5 cm.)

Condition: Both silhouettes are in good condition overall. Light toning and foxing to paper consistent with age, minor abrasions, and edge wear to frames. No major losses or repairs visible.