Americana & Folk Art
|
|
Peggy McClard Antiques Americana & Folk Art |
|
Expertly rendered 19th century cut & paste silhouette by Hervé.
This young boy is well cut and beautifully detailed in gilt paint.
The front lapel of the collar (that part that is closer to the viewer)
has the unusual distinction of being cut from a separate piece of white
paper that is pasted to the silhouette while the back lapel is painted
directly onto the background paper.
Both Charles S. Hervé II and his nephew Alfred are known to have used a stenciled signatures although McKechnie tells us that only the elder, Charles, would have used the family name without an identifying given name or initial while they were both working in London. McKechnie's suggestion indicates that this silhouette is done by Charles II because it bears the stenciled signature "Hervé" and an address of 172 Oxford St. (a known address used by Charles II). However, I find the depiction of a planked floor very similar to works by Alfred and suggest this silhouette might be done by the younger nephew who might have shared gallery space with his uncle. Regardless of which Hervé created this silhouette, it is a beautiful example with an unusual bit of 3-dimensional flourish to the collar. The ghost left on the wooden frame backboard indicates that if this is not the original frame, the silhouette has certainly been set into it for a very long time! Period ebonized frame measures 8" x 10". (#4265) $850 Please see the Silhouettist Biographies page for more information about Hervé. |
|
|
|
Ghost of the image on the wooden backboard |
|
|
|
Send mail to
peggy@peggymcclard.com with
questions or comments about this web site.
Copyright © 2008 Peggy McClard Antiques
