Portrait of Thomas Philips R.A.
Portrait Miniature
1795 (painted)
1795 (painted)
Artist/Maker | |
Place of origin |
In the late 18th century a new sister art and rival to miniature portraits appeared. Since about 1700 miniaturists had worked on ivory, and before that on vellum (animal skin). Up to the late 18th century, watercolour was used mainly by topographic artists, who applied it on paper to tint their drawings. But as watercolour painting developed as an art in its own right, miniaturists saw that working on paper was easier, and so quicker and cheaper. They could thus attract new patrons. Many now widened their repertoire and developed types of watercolour portraits on paper or card. They produced elegant graphite drawings, either tinted lightly with a watercolour wash or with the sitter's head painted minutely in watercolour.
This portrait by William Sherlock goes further and is finished completely in watercolour on card. But the drawback with working on paper or card is that they can both quickly discolour and degrade. This does not happen with the more expensive vellum or ivory.
This portrait by William Sherlock goes further and is finished completely in watercolour on card. But the drawback with working on paper or card is that they can both quickly discolour and degrade. This does not happen with the more expensive vellum or ivory.
Object details
Categories | |
Object type | |
Title | Portrait of Thomas Philips R.A. (popular title) |
Materials and techniques | Watercolour on card |
Brief description | Portrait miniature, watercolour on card, depicting Thomas Philips, R.A., by William Sherlock (ca. 1728-post 1806). Great Britain, 1795. |
Physical description | Portrait miniature, watercolour on card, depicting Thomas Philips, R.A. Dated 1795. |
Dimensions |
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Subjects depicted | |
Summary | In the late 18th century a new sister art and rival to miniature portraits appeared. Since about 1700 miniaturists had worked on ivory, and before that on vellum (animal skin). Up to the late 18th century, watercolour was used mainly by topographic artists, who applied it on paper to tint their drawings. But as watercolour painting developed as an art in its own right, miniaturists saw that working on paper was easier, and so quicker and cheaper. They could thus attract new patrons. Many now widened their repertoire and developed types of watercolour portraits on paper or card. They produced elegant graphite drawings, either tinted lightly with a watercolour wash or with the sitter's head painted minutely in watercolour. This portrait by William Sherlock goes further and is finished completely in watercolour on card. But the drawback with working on paper or card is that they can both quickly discolour and degrade. This does not happen with the more expensive vellum or ivory. |
Bibliographic reference | Victoria & Albert Museum Department of Prints and Drawings and Department of Paintings, Accessions 1928. London: HMSO, 1929 |
Collection | |
Accession number | P.20-1928 |
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Record created | July 11, 2003 |
Record URL |
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