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ID #SA1183220
FOR SALE
£575
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James Ferguson Miniature Portrait on Vellum
For sale by Wigs on the Green
for sale €673     $730
£575
Wigs on the Green

Wigs on the Green

Sellingantiques Verified Since May 2020
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    Small portraiture of character & historical interest
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James Ferguson Miniature Portrait on Vellum

18th century
Description

The artist and polymath James Ferguson was born into a poor Scottish family. With the help of an elderly neighbour, he taught himself to read and write. Growing up, Ferguson developed a love for astronomy whilst tending sheep, and for mechanics; he was engaged to several masters, some encouraging but others treating him cruelly. He first drew his distinctive miniature portraits in 1734 whilst a guest at the Edinburgh home of Lady Dipple. His first sitter, Lady Jane Douglas, was so pleased with her portrait that she encouraged her friends to commission the young artist.

Finely drawn in India ink on vellum, this portrait shows a lady in a décolleté dress with a patterned bodice trimmed with lace and decorated with a large silk bow. Her dress is accessorised with a pearl necklace and large pearl drop earrings. Whilst the painting is in good condition the unpainted area shows some age-discoloration. The portrait is set in a gilt metal frame with a reeded edge and rubbing to the reverse side.

James Ferguson’s artistic career spanned 26 years and funded his studies in anatomy, surgery and physics but ultimately it was his love of astronomy that dominated his life and career. He published several books on the subject from 1745 onwards. So revered was his work that King George III awarded him with an annual pension of £50 from 1761. In true rags to riches style Ferguson left a considerable estate upon his death in 1776.

Framed Size: 63 x 51mm

Provenance: UK Private Collection

Physical Dimensions
Height
6cm (2.36")
Width
5cm (1.97")
Declaration

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

Reference Numbers
Sellingantiques Reference
SA1183220
Dealers Internal Reference
DH6002
Dealers Notes

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

Description
The artist and polymath James Ferguson was born into a poor Scottish family. With the help of an elderly neighbour, he taught himself to read and write.
“
Growing up, Ferguson developed a love for astronomy whilst tending sheep, and for mechanics; he was engaged to several masters, some encouraging but others treating him cruelly.
Wigs on the Green

He first drew his distinctive miniature portraits in 1734 whilst a guest at the Edinburgh home of Lady Dipple. His first sitter, Lady Jane Douglas, was so pleased with her portrait that she encouraged her friends to commission the young artist.

fig 1. An oval monochrome Georgian portrait miniature on vellum depicting a lady in 18th-century dress, set within a gold rimmed frame with a top suspension loop.
fig 1. James Ferguson Miniature Portrait on Vellum

Finely drawn in India ink on vellum, this portrait shows a lady in a décolleté dress with a patterned bodice trimmed with lace and decorated with a large silk bow. Her dress is accessorised with a pearl necklace and large pearl drop earrings. Whilst the painting is in good condition the unpainted area shows some age-discoloration. The portrait is set in a gilt metal frame with a reeded edge and rubbing to the reverse side.

James Ferguson’s artistic career spanned 26 years and funded his studies in anatomy, surgery and physics but ultimately it was his love of astronomy that dominated his life and career. He published several books on the subject from 1745 onwards. So revered was his work that King George III awarded him with an annual pension of £50 from 1761. In true rags to riches style Ferguson left a considerable estate upon his death in 1776.

Framed Size: 63 x 51mm

Provenance: UK Private Collection

Height
6cm (2.36")
Width
5cm (1.97")
Date of Manufacture

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

Reference Numbers
Sellingantiques Ref
SA1183220
Dealers Internal Ref
DH6002
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 monochrome Georgian portrait miniature on vellum depicting a lady in 18th-century dress, set within a gold rimmed frame with a top suspension loop.
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Archive I An oval monochrome Georgian portrait miniature on vellum depicting a lady in 18th-century dress, set within a gold rimmed frame with a top suspension loop.

James Ferguson Miniature Portrait on Vellum

Archive II An oval monochrome Georgian portrait miniature on vellum depicting a lady in 18th-century dress, set within a gold rimmed frame with a top suspension loop. View II
Enlarged Archival View
Wigs on the Green

Wigs on the Green
Telephone 07962 257915
Location
York
Yorkshire
United Kingdom
Dealer Profile Page sellingantiques.co.uk/wigsonthegreen
Verified Since May 2020
Items For Sale 82
Items Sold 316
Wigs on the Green
Wigs on the Green
Verified Since May 2020
View Dealer Info
Location: York, Yorkshire, United Kingdom
Profile: sellingantiques.co.uk/wigsonthegreen
Verified
May 2020
For Sale
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An oval monochrome Georgian portrait miniature on vellum depicting a lady in 18th-century dress, set within a gold rimmed frame with a top suspension loop.
James Ferguson Miniature Portrait on Vellum
Ref: SA1183220
An oval monochrome Georgian portrait miniature on vellum depicting a lady in 18th-century dress, set within a gold rimmed frame with a top suspension loop.
Detail View 1
Archival Detail

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Cataloguer’s note

Written by Sellingantiques from the dealer’s photographs and listing
  • ObjectPortrait Miniatures
  • Period18th century
  • StyleGeorgian
  • MaterialVellum, Gold Rim, Glass, Ink
  • ColourMonochrome, Gold
  • MotifsOval frame with suspension loop, Grisaille monochrome rendering, Lace bonnet and beaded necklace
  • SizeH 6 cm (2 in) x W 5 cm (2 in)

This 18th century Georgian portrait miniature is an artwork by James Ferguson, depicting a lady in period dress. Rendered in grisaille monochrome using India ink on vellum, the piece shows a sitter wearing a lace-trimmed bodice with a bow, a beaded necklace, pearl drop earrings, and a lace bonnet. The monochrome artwork sits beneath a glass pane inside an oval gilt metal frame with a reeded edge and a top suspension loop. The unpainted background shows age-discoloration, and the reverse side exhibits rubbing. The framed item measures 6 cm high and 5 cm wide. In a contemporary home, this small decorative portrait works well displayed on a bookshelf or within a cabinet as part of a gallery arrangement of historic miniatures. The compact oval format and neutral black and white tones allow the piece to complement traditional bookshelf styling or integrate easily among volumes in a study. The top loop enables hanging if desired, offering placement flexibility on small wall panels or within collector groupings in an English country house interior.

FAQs

A portrait miniature is a detailed, small-scale painting typically executed on vellum, ivory, or card, popular from the 16th through the 19th centuries as personal tokens of affection or remembrance.

Early portrait miniatures were executed using gouache or watercolour on stretched calfskin vellum, before ivory became the predominant substrate in the early 18th century, housed inside metal or gold frames with protective glass.

Authentic Georgian portrait miniatures feature period-specific hairstyle, dress, and painting techniques such as fine hatching or stippling, housed in original closed-back metal frames with hand-cut glass.

Miniature portraits can be displayed in gallery wall arrangements, integrated into curio cabinets, or styled on bookshelves alongside period books and decorative metalwork.

Keep the portrait out of direct sunlight and high humidity, ensuring the glass enclosure remains sealed to protect the delicate vellum substrate from moisture damage and warping.
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