Prized portrait
This lovely painting has recently been passed down to me and we think it could be my four-times great- grandfather. I have done some research as to why boys wore dresses and I believe it could be for toilet training. I’ve also found out that if the child has a side parting it is usually a boy, as girls were depicted with a centre parting. We are not sure why the boy is wearing a tartan sash, because we aren’t aware of any Sco! ish ancestors. I would be most grateful if you could give me an idea of the date it was painted and who the artist may be, as there isn’t a signature. Rosie Green, Balsall Common
Stylistically, this charming portrait can be dated to about 1845–1865 and it is by an
unidenti #able artist working in a style similar to that of Josiah Gilbert (1814–1892). It is a soundly provincial piece, indicating a painter who was not London trained: note how the # ngers are poorly de# ned and the "esh tones are a li$le hard, giving the si$er a dolllike character. Queen Victoria and Prince Albert acquired Balmoral in about 1852 and the Sco$ish Highlands quickly became a fashionable place to visit. Some children without Sco$ish ancestry were dressed in the newly popular tartans and plaid pa$erns and what a decorative addition the sash makes to this picture. Young boys routinely wore dresses until they were fully ‘ breeched’ into trousers: it was not an indication of any e%eminacy, even in those straight-laced Victorian times. This oil painting appears to be quite small and has had some repairs, but it may be worth £150–£ 200. RK