Very well executed American bust-length hollow cut silhouette of a gentleman with an uncut lapel and pencil drawn hair and shirt front. It is unusual to find these iconic American folk silhouettes with the lapel, shirt front and hair drawn instead of watercolor or India ink painting. The profile is so well cut and has many similarities to the much-sought work of James Holsey Whitcomb that I think there is some chance that it might be by him. This is far from an “attribution” which I can’t make because the eyelash is a bit longer than any Whitcomb silhouette that I’ve seen. Also, most of Whitcomb’s bust-length silhouettes have an apostrophe bust-line termination although there are examples that are attributable to him without the apostrophe. The bold bust-line on this silhouette has a great flair that one might expect someone with great talent and imagination, like Whitcomb, to have tried out. I’m just saying that there is some chance….. Even if it isn’t Whitcomb, it is a very fine American silhouette that would grace any collection.

The silhouette resides in a period gilt frame and an églomisé verre glass mat painted on wonderful early rolled glass. The églomisé shows signs of age with black paint separation from the glass, but has been restored with a black overpaint and sealed. The reverse of the frame’s top stick has a pencil inscription “A.R. Smith”. The framed size is 5 ½” x 4 ½”, not including the brass wire hanging loop. This is a really fine quality profile in very good condition. Circa 1830.

#5370    Sold

Please see the Silhouettist Bios page for more information about James Holsey Whitcomb and compare his work with this…..I’m not attributing, just pointing out similarities.