When was this portrait painted?

Q

I’m interested in dating this portrait of a gentleman, which I believe originated in Newark, Nottinghamshire. The sitter may be a draper and outfitter selling clothes, so might therefore be especially aware of current fashions. Can you offer any information?

John Matthews

A

This is a simple, informal portrait – a short, half-length painting in watercolour on paper. It’s unmounted, although the discoloured border suggests that it was once framed. The subject, a smartly dressed young gentleman, was painted in the late 1830s or 1840s, around the time the new mechanical portrait medium of photography was emerging. The first commercial photographs (daguerreotypes) were expensive, and initially those accustomed to sitting for portraits usually preferred conventional hand-crafted artworks. Thousands of professional artists operated in early Victorian England, some having established studios, others touring the provinces, but most remain unidentified. There were also many keen amateur painters at this time, who usually worked in watercolour. This picture could be a professional artwork, but a decent amateur painting seems more likely.

Your ancestor is dressed in customary ‘Gothic’-inspired early Victorian style, wearing a slender black frock coat with narrow sleeves, his deep V-fronted waistcoat revealing an expanse of starched white shirt. The black silk cravat, tied into a bow in front, offers a primary dating clue, being especially fashionable during the late 1830s and 1840s. His appearance is classic, not showy, but could accord with the suggested trade of draper/outfitter, a role in which he would have understood fashion trends, advising clients on fabrics and garment styles. Aged apparently in his twenties, this ancestor was born in the 1810s or early to mid-1820s. Hopefully this fits with your family tree and helps you to confirm his identity.

Jayne Shrimpton

1 HAIRSTYLE

He wears a youthful hairstyle with sideburns swept forward in a modest, clean-cut version of the ‘Romantic’ bushy facial hair that was popular in the second quarter of the 19th century.

2

NECK CORD

A black cord around his neck might suspend an eyeglass, a seal or possibly a timepiece, as waistcoat pocket watches and chains were not yet common.

3 OCCASION

This painting might have been executed to represent his landmark 21st birthday, or, given the note, could be connected to his betrothal or marriage.

4 INSCRIPTION

The handwritten inscription firmly identifies the subject as Thomas Matthews and indicates that he gave this portrait to someone close, perhaps his mother, fiancée or wife.

5 SIGNATURE

Professional painters rarely signed their work, but amateurs did. This message suggests that Thomas may have painted this as a self-portrait.