Why are so many sitters unnamed?

Because the names dropped away as pictures left families and passed through sales. Titles on Sellingantiques run to lady, gentleman, young girl, young boy, described by dress, age or occupation. Where a sitter is named, the listing tends to name the family or house as well. Those sit at the top of the range.

What does circle of actually mean?

An unidentified painter working close to the named artist, during that artist's lifetime. It is one of a family of hedges dealers use when the hand isn't certain. After means a copy of a known composition. Follower of means the manner, not necessarily the period. Studio of points at workshop assistants.

Are portraits usually signed?

No. Around one title in twenty says signed, and only about one in fifty says dated. The hedged attributions far outnumber them. Circle, after, attributed, follower and studio together carry well over a thousand titles.

How reliable is a 19th Century date?

Treat it as a bracket rather than a date. Over a thousand listings are filed simply as 19th Century, with several hundred each under 18th and 17th. The dealers' own dating spans 1631 to 1960, though fewer than a third of listings pin a clean year. Expect a circa in the description.

Do animal pictures count as portraits?

They're filed here, yes. Dogs appear in over a hundred titles and horses in ninety-odd, with collies, terriers, racehorses and hunters among them. The archive has also carried a lion, a foxhound, a bull bitch and a racing pigeon under the same heading.

What are miniatures painted on?

Ivory and card are common, but the samples also show oil on copper, celluloid, reverse-painted glass and Italian examples drawn on silk. Many come cased, and some are mounted as pendants or brooches. Miniature appears in 372 titles, roughly one listing in fourteen.