Wigs on the Green has dated this piece to the Regency era.
Dating to around 1820, the profile is painted in deep black with gum arabic used to highlight the details of his coat and needle scratching used to show the thinning strands of his hair and side whiskers. It is backed with card though it may originally have been backed with wax or a plaster base.
Born in 1800, James Pelham was the son of a miniature painter so grew up surrounded by paint and brushes. It seems likely that he painted profiles and miniatures early in his career before moving on to working on a larger scale in oils and watercolour.
Framed Size: 146 x 119mm
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
Silhouette on Glass Attributed to James Pelham II
