Framed Profile Drawing
These framed antique profile drawing pieces capture intimate likenesses in pencil, ink and pastel, offering a direct window into past lives.
Framed Profile Drawing
The selections span multiple eras, including the eighteenth century, the regency period, and the nineteenth century. These works appear in various forms such as portrait miniatures, pastel portrait paintings, and framed drawings.
Makers and artists represented include figures like James Ferguson, Ozias Humphry, and Nathaniel Bermingham. Subjects range from named individuals such as Mrs Jordan and Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree to anonymous sitters and traditional equestrian scenes.
Materials and Technique
Artists executed these works on paper using pencil, graphite, ink, wash, charcoal, and watercolour. Many pieces incorporate cut-out elements or gilded highlights to define the profile against the background.
The framing utilises wood, brass, and glass to protect the delicate media. Carved Florentine frames and simple period mouldings house the works, preserving the paper and pigments from atmospheric damage.
One listed drawing captures the music composer Frédéric Chopin, reminding us that profile artists sometimes caught famous geniuses mid-thought.
Evaluating Quality
Quality rests upon the sureness of the draughtsmanship and the precision of the profile line. Works by accomplished hands demonstrate confidence in capturing character with minimal strokes, whereas lesser examples lack anatomical clarity.
The preservation of the paper and the original mounting significantly influence the standing of a piece. Tonal depth in plumbago or pencil work distinguishes superior examples from flat or faded attempts.
James Ferguson·Ozias Humphry·Nathaniel Bermingham·George Atkinson·John Duncan Fergusson·Francis Haviland
The Framed Profile Drawing Glossary
- Plumbago
- A drawing executed in graphite, named after the Latin word for lead ore. These detailed works often display high precision in monochrome tones.
- Silhouette
- A solid shape of a person's profile filled in with a single colour, usually black. These can be painted directly or created as cut-out paper work.
- Gouache
- An opaque watercolour paint consisting of natural pigment, water, and a binding agent. It provides solid colour blocks and highlights in mixed media portraits.
- Wash
- A thin layer of translucent ink or watercolour applied across the paper to create shadow and depth. It softens harsh pencil or pen lines.
- Pastel
- A dry medium made of powdered pigment and a binder, pressed into stick form. It yields soft, velvety textures and subtle colour gradations.
Framed Profile Drawing: Frequently Asked Questions
How do I date an old profile drawing?
Dating relies on costume, hair styling, framing materials, and paper characteristics. Regency and eighteenth-century pieces often display distinct sartorial markers.
Backings, seals, and handwritten inscriptions on the reverse also provide clues to the exact period of execution.
Where should I hang these drawings?
These works require placement away from direct sunlight to prevent the fading of pencil, ink, and watercolour media. Controlled light preserves the paper.
Grouping smaller profile portraits together on a single wall creates a traditional gallery effect suited to studies and hallways.
Are these works original or copies?
Most antique profile drawings are original works drawn from life or contemporary sittings. Examining the surface under magnification reveals hand-applied strokes.
Platemark impressions or physical cut-out edges distinguish unique handmade drawings from later mechanical reproductions.