Wigs on the Green has dated this piece to the 18th Century.
This is a documented stylistic trait associated with the work of Mrs Elizabeth Hudson (fl. 1783-1802) so, although the silhouette is unlabelled, it can be firmly attributed to her hand. Unusually too, the coat is heightened with black, gold and silver adding richness and depth to the profile.
The silhouette is housed in the original pressed brass frame with an old repair to the underside and provenance labels on the backing paper.
The daughter of Henry Chilcot, a jeweller working in the popular spa town of Bath, Elizabeth specialised initially in hairwork arrangements for portrait miniatures and in wax profiles only later turning to silhouette portraiture. Her career took her from her home town to a central London gallery but the sudden death of her patron then obliged her to return to touring. Alongside painting, Mrs Hudson had a theatrical career playing to packed houses up and down the country. Her final career move was to open a school for young ladies in Cheshire.
Framed Size: 118 x 96mm
Provenance: Mrs Nevill Jackson ; acquired for the Christie Collection in Nov. 1941
Literature: McKechnie, British Silhouette Artists and their Work, p.543 & illus p.588
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
Elizabeth Hudson, Silhouette of a Volunteer Officer on Glass
