What is an antique black profile?

An antique black profile is a historic portrait showing a subject's outline in shadow, typically created between the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. These works capture individual likenesses through cut paper, ink, or paint on materials such as glass, plaster, and card.

How were silhouettes displayed?

Original owners typically hung these framed portraits in domestic parlours, often grouping several pieces together on a wall. Smaller profiles and rings were worn or kept as personal tokens to remember family members and associates.

How do I date a silhouette?

Dating relies on the style of the sitter's clothing, hair, and headdress, such as Regency turban caps or Georgian high collars. Frame construction, backing papers, and handwritten notes on the reverse also provide reliable chronological clues.