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ID #SA1113284
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Gervase Spencer, Charming Portrait with Pierced Reverse
Sold by Wigs on the Green
sold SA1113284
Sorry, but this item has been sold.
Wigs on the Green

Wigs on the Green

Sellingantiques Verified Since May 2020
Browse dealers 83 items
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    Small portraiture of character & historical interest
Id #SA1113284
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Gervase Spencer, Charming Portrait with Pierced Reverse

18th century
Sold 13 December 2024 · Wigs on the Green
This “Gervase Spencer, Charming Portrait with Pierced Reverse” found a buyer.

It was listed by Wigs on the Green. Sold pieces stay on Sellingantiques as a record of what has passed through, and the next one is rarely far away.

Description

Although probably just in her early teens, this young lady already shows poise and elegance. She wears a low-cut dress in cornflower blue muslin sprigged in white and trimmed with matching white lace. Her upswept hair is secured with a pretty white and blue spotted headdress.

Dating to the mid-eighteenth century, the portrait is set in a gilt metal frame with a twisted border. The attractive reverse reveals lilac silk under a pair of pierced and engraved gilt metal birds on a nest.

Gervase Spencer’s career as a miniaturist apparently began whilst working as a footman in a London household during the 1740s. A talented draughtsman, he was self-taught and became a prolific artist working competently on ivory and in enamel. He exhibited at the Society of Artists. Spencer died at his home in Great Marlborough Street on 30 October 1763.

Framed size: framed, 51 x 43mm

APHA Registration: JY3BP9YZ

Date of Manufacture

Wigs on the Green has dated this Antique Portrait Miniature to the 18th Century.

Physical Dimensions
Height
5cm (1.97")
Width
4cm (1.57")
Reference Numbers
Sellingantiques Reference
SA1113284
Dealers Internal Reference
7645
Dealers Notes

All prices include UK postage. International shipping will be at cost.

Description
Although probably just in her early teens, this young lady already shows poise and elegance.
“
She wears a low-cut dress in cornflower blue muslin sprigged in white and trimmed with matching white lace.
Wigs on the Green

Her upswept hair is secured with a pretty white and blue spotted headdress.

fig 1. An oval antique portrait miniature depicting a woman in a blue dress and cap, encased within a scalloped gold frame.
fig 1. Gervase Spencer, Charming Portrait with Pierced Reverse

Dating to the mid-eighteenth century, the portrait is set in a gilt metal frame with a twisted border. The attractive reverse reveals lilac silk under a pair of pierced and engraved gilt metal birds on a nest.

fig 2. An oval antique portrait miniature depicting a woman in a blue dress and cap, encased within a scalloped gold frame.
fig 2. Gervase Spencer, Charming Portrait with Pierced Reverse

Gervase Spencer’s career as a miniaturist apparently began whilst working as a footman in a London household during the 1740s. A talented draughtsman, he was self-taught and became a prolific artist working competently on ivory and in enamel. He exhibited at the Society of Artists. Spencer died at his home in Great Marlborough Street on 30 October 1763.

Framed size: framed, 51 x 43mm

APHA Registration: JY3BP9YZ

Date of Manufacture

Wigs on the Green has dated this Antique Portrait Miniature to the 18th Century.

Height
5cm (1.97")
Width
4cm (1.57")
Reference Numbers
Sellingantiques Ref
SA1113284
Dealers Internal Ref
7645
Wigs on the Green
Wigs on the Green
Sellingantiques verified Since May 2020

Small portraiture of character & historical interest

Dealer Profile

You can view the stock and full dealer information on the Wigs on the Green Profile Page

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An oval antique portrait miniature depicting a woman in a blue dress and cap, encased within a scalloped gold frame. SOLD6+ MONTHS AGO
1 / 3
Archive I An oval antique portrait miniature depicting a woman in a blue dress and cap, encased within a scalloped gold frame. SOLD6+ MONTHS AGO

Gervase Spencer, Charming Portrait with Pierced Reverse

Archive II An oval antique portrait miniature depicting a woman in a blue dress and cap, encased within a scalloped gold frame. View II
Archive III An oval antique portrait miniature depicting a woman in a blue dress and cap, encased within a scalloped gold frame. View III
Enlarged Archival View
Telephone 07962 257915
Location
York
Yorkshire
United Kingdom
Verified Since May 2020
Items For Sale 83
Items Sold 319
Wigs on the Green
Wigs on the Green
Verified Since May 2020
View Dealer Info
Location: York, Yorkshire, United Kingdom
Verified
May 2020
For Sale
83
Sold
319
An oval antique portrait miniature depicting a woman in a blue dress and cap, encased within a scalloped gold frame.
Gervase Spencer, Charming Portrait with Pierced Reverse
Ref: SA1113284
An oval antique portrait miniature depicting a woman in a blue dress and cap, encased within a scalloped gold frame.
Detail View 1
Detail View 2
Archival Detail
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Written by Sellingantiques from the dealer’s photographs and listing
  • ObjectBrooches and Pendants
  • Period18th century
  • StyleGeorgian
  • MaterialGold, Glass, Ivory, Pigment
  • ColourWarm Gold
  • MotifsHand-painted portrait, Scalloped bezel frame, Profile or three-quarter view
  • SizeH 5 cm (2 in) x W 4 cm (2 in)

A portrait miniature is a small, highly detailed painting, typically executed on ivory, vellum, or card during the 16th through 19th centuries, often worn as personal jewellery or kept as a memento.

The paintings were usually executed in watercolour or gouache on thin slices of ivory, animal parchment, or card, whilst the surrounding frames and mounts were commonly crafted from gold, gilt metal, silver, or sometimes wood and tortoiseshell.

Authenticity is determined by examining the brushwork under magnification for stippling or fine hatching techniques characteristic of the period, checking the backing materials for age-related oxidisation, and evaluating the construction of the bezel or frame for period-correct fixings.

These pieces can be displayed within gallery walls alongside contemporary art using specialised shadow boxes, or placed on small easels on mantelpieces and bookshelves to introduce a layer of historical intrigue.

Miniatures must be kept out of direct sunlight to prevent the fading of delicate watercolours and pigments, and stored in stable environmental conditions away from excessive moisture and extreme temperature fluctuations.
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