Wigs on the Green has dated this piece to the Regency era.
It is backed with a fragment of the artist’s trade label that is now protected by an acetate covering. Under magnification, there is evidence of craquelure to the hair comb though this is not visible to the naked eye. Otherwise the condition is fine.
The profile is painted on plaster and has been neatly bronzed by the master profilist John Field (1772-1848) who worked alongside John Miers in his studio on The Strand. Miers only produced plain profiles whereas Field excelled at gilding; he painted his finest and most attractive profiles during the early 1800s. The two men enjoyed a partnership and friendship of long standing that continued until Miers died in 1821. The business was then willed jointly to John Field and Miers’s son, William, but the dynamics had clearly been altered too much as within a few years the business filed for bankruptcy. Field continued to paint profiles during the 1830s but from a studio that he now shared with his own son.
Wigs on the Green has dated this piece to the Regency era.
Small portraiture of character & historical interest
You can view the stock and full dealer information on the Wigs on the Green Profile Page
Painted & Gilded Silhouette by John Field
