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ID #SA1242747
FOR SALE
£1,100
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Alexander Gallaway Scottish Miniature Portrait
For sale by Wigs on the Green
for sale €1,287     $1,397
£1,100
Wigs on the Green

Wigs on the Green

Sellingantiques Verified Since May 2020
Browse dealers 83 items
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    Small portraiture of character & historical interest
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Id #SA1242747
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Alexander Gallaway Scottish Miniature Portrait

19th century
Description

I have unpacked the Gloves … their colour is light & pretty -

So writes Jane Austen in 1798 in a letter to her sister Cassandra. Close inspection of this portrait from the same period reveals that this spirited-looking lady is wearing similarly ‘light & pretty’ gloves in spotted pink lace that extend right up to her sleeve. Her lightweight dress is neo-classical in style with its short waist and mancherons topping the narrow sleeves as was typical of Regency fashion. Her dark hair is upswept and held in place with a braided bandeau with short curls framing her face.

The portrait is traditionally understood to be signed within though the frame has not been opened. It is presented in the original gold-plated frame that is glazed reverse to show brown plaited hair with the sitter’s initials MAB in seed pearls on a blue glass plaque (a few loose pearls).

Scottish-born, Alexander Gallaway began his career as a miniaturist in Glasgow working during the 1790s in partnership with a Mr Williams, a landscape artist. During the early 1800s he moved east to Edinburgh where he would have hoped to attract a wider and more prosperous clientele. He exhibited at the Society of Artists in Edinburgh.

Framed Size: 78 x 64mm + hinged bail

Ivory Exemption Ref.: DBPWWHW6

Date of Manufacture

Wigs on the Green has dated this Regency Miniature Portrait Pendant to the Regency era.

Physical Dimensions
Height
8cm (3.15")
Width
6cm (2.36")
Reference Numbers
Sellingantiques Reference
SA1242747
Dealers Internal Reference
7734
Dealers Notes

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

Description
I have unpacked the Gloves … their colour is light & pretty -

So writes Jane Austen in 1798 in a letter to her sister Cassandra.

“
Close inspection of this portrait from the same period reveals that this spirited-looking lady is wearing similarly ‘light & pretty’ gloves in spotted pink lace that extend right up to her sleeve.
Wigs on the Green

Her lightweight dress is neo-classical in style with its short waist and mancherons topping the narrow sleeves as was typical of Regency fashion. Her dark hair is upswept and held in place with a braided bandeau with short curls framing her face.

fig 1. An oval Regency portrait miniature depicting a woman with dark hair in an updo wearing a white high-waisted gown, mounted in a gold casing with a ribbed loop.
fig 1. Alexander Gallaway Scottish Miniature Portrait

The portrait is traditionally understood to be signed within though the frame has not been opened. It is presented in the original gold-plated frame that is glazed reverse to show brown plaited hair with the sitter’s initials MAB in seed pearls on a blue glass plaque (a few loose pearls).

Scottish-born, Alexander Gallaway began his career as a miniaturist in Glasgow working during the 1790s in partnership with a Mr Williams, a landscape artist. During the early 1800s he moved east to Edinburgh where he would have hoped to attract a wider and more prosperous clientele. He exhibited at the Society of Artists in Edinburgh.

Framed Size: 78 x 64mm + hinged bail

Ivory Exemption Ref.: DBPWWHW6

Date of Manufacture

Wigs on the Green has dated this Regency Miniature Portrait Pendant to the Regency era.

Height
8cm (3.15")
Width
6cm (2.36")
Reference Numbers
Sellingantiques Ref
SA1242747
Dealers Internal Ref
7734
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 Regency portrait miniature depicting a woman with dark hair in an updo wearing a white high-waisted gown, mounted in a gold casing with a ribbed loop.
1 / 2
Archive I An oval Regency portrait miniature depicting a woman with dark hair in an updo wearing a white high-waisted gown, mounted in a gold casing with a ribbed loop.

Alexander Gallaway Scottish Miniature Portrait

Archive II An oval Regency portrait miniature depicting a woman with dark hair in an updo wearing a white high-waisted gown, mounted in a gold casing with a ribbed 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 83
Items Sold 317
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
83
Sold
317
An oval Regency portrait miniature depicting a woman with dark hair in an updo wearing a white high-waisted gown, mounted in a gold casing with a ribbed loop.
Alexander Gallaway Scottish Miniature Portrait
Ref: SA1242747
An oval Regency portrait miniature depicting a woman with dark hair in an updo wearing a white high-waisted gown, mounted in a gold casing with a ribbed 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
  • Period19th century
  • StyleRegency
  • MaterialGold, Glass, Watercolour
  • ColourGold and White
  • MotifsOval frame, Ribbed suspension loop, Regency hairstyle, Empire line dress
  • SizeH 8 cm (3 in) x W 6 cm (2 in)

This Regency miniature portrait depicts a woman with dark hair in an upswept hairstyle, wearing a white high-waisted gown. The artwork uses watercolour and is mounted inside an oval gold-plated frame, featuring a ribbed suspension loop at the top and a glazed glass front protecting the painting. The piece measures 8 cm high and 6 cm wide. In a modern home, this delicate miniature is suited for display on a narrow wall space or placed on a desk, mantelpiece or bedside table. The painting shows the sitter facing right in a neo-classical dress, complemented by the gold casing and detailed framework characteristic of the period.

FAQs

Portrait miniatures reached peak popularity during the Georgian and Regency periods, serving as personal tokens of affection, remembrance, or status prior to the invention of photography. Rendered in fine watercolour on ivory or card, these portable artworks were designed to be held in the hand, worn as jewellery, or displayed in private rooms.

Miniatures of the early nineteenth century were predominantly painted using thin layers of watercolour applied to thin sheets of ivory. They were housed in pinchbeck, gold, or silver-gilt frames, often fitted with protective glass lenses and suspension loops or brooch fittings.

Authentic pieces from this period exhibit characteristic fashion details, such as Empire line dresses and elaborate updos, along with stippled or cross-hatched brushwork. Inspection of artist signatures, original metal mounts, and natural aged tarnish or oxidisation assists in establishing period origin.

Small-scale antique portraits can be displayed within gallery wall arrangements, integrated into bookshelves among leather-bound books, or placed on brass easel stands atop consoles and sideboards to add historic character to modern spaces.

Portrait miniatures must be kept out of direct sunlight and away from high humidity, as excess moisture or UV light can fade light-sensitive watercolour pigments or warp the ivory substrate. Metal casings should be gently wiped with a dry microfiber cloth without using liquid chemical cleaners.
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