Wigs on the Green has dated this piece to the 18th Century.
It is housed in the original turned pearwood frame. There is a small area of delamination to the paintwork on the face. The verre églomisé border was likely painted by Mrs Beetham’s husband, Edward, as he had travelled to Murano around this time to study glass painting.
Isabella Beetham (1754-1825) began cutting silhouettes out of necessity to support her young family and was fortunate to be taught painting during the early 1780s by John Smart, the acclaimed miniaturist. Her husband meantime was a dabbler: he tried acting on stage, he designed a theatre safety curtain, he took in lodgers, he built and sold new-fangled washing machines, he offered insurance cover and so on.
Framed Size: 141 x 124mm
Provenance: G. W. Bain ; Christie Collection
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
Isabella Beetham, Silhouette of a Child
