Portrait of the son of a purser in the East India Company's service
Portrait Miniature
1800 (painted)
1800 (painted)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
This charming miniature shows a small boy holding a miniature of his mother and his siblings. The miniature in the picture is also by Charles Hayter and is in the V&A’s collection (Museum no. P.23-1923). A drawing by Hayter also in the V&A (Museum no. E.3150-1920) is a sketch in pencil of the same sitter--inscribed in ink ‘Son of an E I purser’, showing that the boy was the son of a purser in the service of the East India Company.
The boy is possibly wearing a uniform of some sort, and may be about to be sent away to school. This pair of miniatures beautifully illustrate the sentimental, personal role of most portrait miniatures--the child painted holding a miniature that he presumably will take away with him, while his own portrait will stay behind with his family. It is also possible that it was intended to be sent to the child's father in India.
The boy is possibly wearing a uniform of some sort, and may be about to be sent away to school. This pair of miniatures beautifully illustrate the sentimental, personal role of most portrait miniatures--the child painted holding a miniature that he presumably will take away with him, while his own portrait will stay behind with his family. It is also possible that it was intended to be sent to the child's father in India.
Object details
| Categories | |
| Object type | |
| Title | Portrait of the son of a purser in the East India Company's service (popular title) |
| Materials and techniques | Watercolour on ivory |
| Brief description | Portrait miniature of a boy, a son of a purser in the East India Company's service, holding a miniature, painted on ivory by Charles Hayter (1761-1835). British School, 1800. |
| Physical description | Portrait of a boy holding a miniature (the miniature he is holding, also in the V&A, is by Charles Hayter, and is of the boy's mother and siblings, museum number P.23-1923). A drawing also by Hayter in the collection of the V&A (museum number E.3150-1920) is a sketch in pencil of the same sitter - inscribed in ink "Son of an E I purser", showing that the boy was the son of a purser in the service of the East India Company. |
| Dimensions |
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| Style | |
| Subjects depicted | |
| Summary | This charming miniature shows a small boy holding a miniature of his mother and his siblings. The miniature in the picture is also by Charles Hayter and is in the V&A’s collection (Museum no. P.23-1923). A drawing by Hayter also in the V&A (Museum no. E.3150-1920) is a sketch in pencil of the same sitter--inscribed in ink ‘Son of an E I purser’, showing that the boy was the son of a purser in the service of the East India Company. The boy is possibly wearing a uniform of some sort, and may be about to be sent away to school. This pair of miniatures beautifully illustrate the sentimental, personal role of most portrait miniatures--the child painted holding a miniature that he presumably will take away with him, while his own portrait will stay behind with his family. It is also possible that it was intended to be sent to the child's father in India. |
| Associated objects |
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| Collection | |
| Accession number | P.24-1923 |
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| Record created | February 26, 2003 |
| Record URL |
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