Wigs on the Green has dated this piece to the 18th Century.
This lady’s hair is dressed with trailing ribbons.
Working in the late eighteenth century, Sarah Harrington favoured hollow-cut silhouettes where the profile is cut out but it is the surrounding paper that is retained and backed with black paper. This technique was more popular amongst American silhouette artists.
The silhouette resides in the original turned wood frame with an inner crenellated gilt border. The backing board is inscribed ‘Mrs Turner’ and on a worn paper label, possibly in the artist’s own hand, ‘by Harrington’.
Working between 1774 and 1787, Mrs Sarah Harrington successfully patented her method of producing profiles in 1775. She travelled as far north as Newcastle and Chester and was a regular visitor to both Oxford and Cambridge where she was assured of a steady and lucrative clientele amongst the university freshmen and graduates. She herself was well-educated and advocated the education of women, even giving geography lessons to young ladies. Her work can be easily recognised by the inclusion of an eyelash on her sitters coupled with the bust-line termination.
Framed Size: 122 x 102mm
Wigs on the Green has dated this piece to the 18th Century.
Small portraiture of character & historical interest
You can view the stock and full dealer information on the Wigs on the Green Profile Page
Georgian Hollow-cut Silhouette of a Lady by Mrs Sarah Harringtom
