Artware Fineart has dated this piece to the 18th Century.
Portrait of Anthony Tissington F.R.S. (1703-1776), holding a Piece of Chalcopyrite in his hand , standing in a Mine Shaft
Signed/Inscribed:
on the stretcher "Tissington"
oil on canvas
50 x 40 in. (127 x 102 cm.)
Description
101.74 which was formelry in the collection of Anthony Tissington and William Constabe, the label on the specimen reads 'lead and copper... mixed as i hear not... before... Anthony Tissington Esq'.
Notes
Anthony Tissington is shown in a mine shaft holding a large piece Chalcopyrite Ore and there is apparently a large vein of it behind his right shoulder. Copper was also exploited in Derbyshire and Staffordshire, the Ecton mine was historically very important. It is possible that the Tissingtons were shareholders in the company that leased Ecton up to 1760, when the Duke of Devonshire took the mine back and worked it on his own account. There were certainly large bits of chalcopyrite brought out of Ecton at that time. Accoding to the Mineral expert at the Natural History Museum the ore is almost certainly Chalcopyrite which is a brass-yellow mineral with a chemical composition of CuFeS2. It occurs in most sulfide mineral deposits throughout the world and has been the most important ore of copper for thousands of years. The surface of chalcopyrite loses its metallic luster and brass-yellow color upon weathering. It tarnishes to a dull, gray-green color, but in the presence of acids the tarnish can develop a red to blue to purple iridescence. The iridescent colors of weathered chalcopyrite attract attention. Some souvenir shops sell chalcopyrite that has been treated with acid as "peacock ore." But, "peacock ore" is a more appropriate name for the mineral bornite. The most obvious physical properties of chalcopyrite are its brassy yellow color, metallic luster, and high specific gravity. These give it a similar appearance to pyrite and gold. Distinguishing these minerals is easy. Gold is soft, has a yellow streak and has a much higher specific gravity. Chalcopyrite is brittle and has a greenish gray streak. Pyrite is hard enough that it cannot be scratched with a nail, but chalcopyrite is easily scratched with a nail. The name "fool's gold" is most often associated with pyrite because it is more common and more often confused with gold. Chalcopyrite is also confused with gold, so the name "fool's gold" is also applied and appropriate.
The only important use of chalcopyrite is as an ore of copper, but this single use should not be understated. Chalcopyrite has been the primary ore of copper since smelting began over five thousand years ago. Some chalcopyrite ores contain significant amounts of zinc substituting for iron. Others contain enough silver or gold that the precious metal content more than pays the costs of mining.
The family originated from Tissington in Derbyshire where they had an estate in the 12th Century. His grandfather was Anthony Tissington of Darley Dale 1638-1700 The family moved to Oaker Hill, Derbyshire, the family had interests in mining since then. Anthony and his younger brother George, were the sons of Anthony Tissington. George was also an agent to several mining companies and he settled in Winster. He was highly regarded for his knowledge in minerals , he died in 1760.
Anthony Tissington attended DerbySchool where he was tutored by the Rev Garmstow, teaching him Natural Philosophy and Science over and above mathematics and Grammer. He left school early to take on family responsibilities with the family mining and mineralogy. He claimed in a 1775 lead mining dispute that he was a working miner fro the age of 8 to 20.
Artware Fineart has dated this piece to the 18th Century.
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Attributed to Joseph Wright of Derby, Ara, 1734-1797 Portrait of Anthony Tissington F.r.s. (1703-1776), Holding a Piece of Chalcopyrite in His Hand , Standing in a Mine Shaft
