Victorian Antique Silhouette Portrait
$474.95
19th Century, Circa 1840-1860
Out of stock
Product Information
Dimensions
Condition
Product Information
Shop this Victorian Antique Silhouette Portrait for sale. Traditional folk art and outsider art are wonderful and fresh choices for wall decor decorating options. These art styles have a fresh, raw, unpretentious voice that brings a sophisticated child-like approach to rustic and primitive interpretations of a subject. The result is an artistic narrative that defies a decorating style that works well in every interior. This silhouette for sale on All The Decor has genuine rustic charms. It is what we may consider authentic and original 19th-century folk art done by an untrained or outsider artist. This artist’s artistic efforts still the same has not been lost.
Outsider art is defined as artwork done by someone without training. A general bias can also be applied to this in the context of traditional folk art. While it is true some of the most famous folk artists of the 18th, 19th, and 20th century were untrained, such as artists like Bill Traylor and Grandma Moses, there are exceptions to this rule as some very well known outsider artists and influential folk artists were trained artists that choose to work in a deconstructed style.
Silhouettes are a wonderful example of such outsider folk art compositions like this 19th-century silhouette for sale on All The Decor. Shadow portraits or silhouettes were made popular during the 18th and 19th centuries throughout the United States, England, and France. For those of you not familiar, A silhouette is an outline or shadow of the subject constructed from a cut or painted profile in a single hue and tone (almost always black). This profile or subject is then applied or painted on a background, most often white or a generality, a color palette lighter than the profile cut or painted portrait.
There are also reverse examples of such silhouettes, in which the subject profile is produced in a light tone or hue in reverse to a darker tone or hue background. These examples are often called reverse cuts. Reverse cuts involve the profile cut inside a sheet of paper or card, and a lighter tone background is held behind the image to produce a shadow of the pattern from the trimmed darker hue sheet.
The term silhouette was derived from the 18th-century French finance minister Etienne de Silhouette. Mr. Silhouette had an industrious hobby, which was the cutting of paper shadow portraits. Again another example of outsider artists at work. The phrase “a la Silhouette” grew to mean “on the cheap”, as silhouettes were the main way that regular people could have a portrait made for a small cost. Not only could one attempt to make a silhouette themselves, but they could also go to a silhouette artist who, within a few moments, would create a highly skilled profile in their likeness for a very reasonable price. Some such silhouette portrait artists become very famous for their works, such as French-born Auguste Edouarte.
Silhouettes hit their peak during the Victorian era, which started in 1837 with the British monarch Queen Victoria’s crowning in Great Britain and ended in January 1901. The same time when the camera and photography began to become more mainstream and more affordable for people to have access to. Silhouettes remain a staple of genuine antique farmhouse decor, American decorative arts, the American federal style interior, and the English countryside interior. They work very well as stand-alone wall art, or in combination with a gallery wall style presentation. This size is great as it can fit into many different interior decorative locations.
This paper cut style profile features a charming rendition of a child in Victorian-era attire and displays wonderful hand-painted decorative embellishments that make this portrait a rare find. Most silhouettes do not use hand-painted ornamentation on the cut. Note the hand-painted details of the subject’s hair, jacket details, the antique handheld pocket watch, and the ornamented boot covers. This profile is also rare as it is a full profile portrait—most silhouettes often only detail the subject’s upper profile. Another unusual aspect to this portrait is the hand-painted embellishment on the background card, the painted shadow or watercolor or ink wash puddle at the subjet’s feet, found in a more unusual and rare silhouette.
Based on the style of this portrait, this work is dated to circa 1840-1860. According to our records, this work arrived to us from a consigner that acquired it from a New England collection of silhouette portraits. This silhouette would be excellent for anyone that collects silhouettes, folk art, or outsider art. It would also be a great addition to any interior as genuine wall art.
Outsider art is defined as artwork done by someone without training. A general bias can also be applied to this in the context of traditional folk art. While it is true some of the most famous folk artists of the 18th, 19th, and 20th century were untrained, such as artists like Bill Traylor and Grandma Moses, there are exceptions to this rule as some very well known outsider artists and influential folk artists were trained artists that choose to work in a deconstructed style.
Silhouettes are a wonderful example of such outsider folk art compositions like this 19th-century silhouette for sale on All The Decor. Shadow portraits or silhouettes were made popular during the 18th and 19th centuries throughout the United States, England, and France. For those of you not familiar, A silhouette is an outline or shadow of the subject constructed from a cut or painted profile in a single hue and tone (almost always black). This profile or subject is then applied or painted on a background, most often white or a generality, a color palette lighter than the profile cut or painted portrait.
There are also reverse examples of such silhouettes, in which the subject profile is produced in a light tone or hue in reverse to a darker tone or hue background. These examples are often called reverse cuts. Reverse cuts involve the profile cut inside a sheet of paper or card, and a lighter tone background is held behind the image to produce a shadow of the pattern from the trimmed darker hue sheet.
The term silhouette was derived from the 18th-century French finance minister Etienne de Silhouette. Mr. Silhouette had an industrious hobby, which was the cutting of paper shadow portraits. Again another example of outsider artists at work. The phrase “a la Silhouette” grew to mean “on the cheap”, as silhouettes were the main way that regular people could have a portrait made for a small cost. Not only could one attempt to make a silhouette themselves, but they could also go to a silhouette artist who, within a few moments, would create a highly skilled profile in their likeness for a very reasonable price. Some such silhouette portrait artists become very famous for their works, such as French-born Auguste Edouarte.
Silhouettes hit their peak during the Victorian era, which started in 1837 with the British monarch Queen Victoria’s crowning in Great Britain and ended in January 1901. The same time when the camera and photography began to become more mainstream and more affordable for people to have access to. Silhouettes remain a staple of genuine antique farmhouse decor, American decorative arts, the American federal style interior, and the English countryside interior. They work very well as stand-alone wall art, or in combination with a gallery wall style presentation. This size is great as it can fit into many different interior decorative locations.
This paper cut style profile features a charming rendition of a child in Victorian-era attire and displays wonderful hand-painted decorative embellishments that make this portrait a rare find. Most silhouettes do not use hand-painted ornamentation on the cut. Note the hand-painted details of the subject’s hair, jacket details, the antique handheld pocket watch, and the ornamented boot covers. This profile is also rare as it is a full profile portrait—most silhouettes often only detail the subject’s upper profile. Another unusual aspect to this portrait is the hand-painted embellishment on the background card, the painted shadow or watercolor or ink wash puddle at the subjet’s feet, found in a more unusual and rare silhouette.
Based on the style of this portrait, this work is dated to circa 1840-1860. According to our records, this work arrived to us from a consigner that acquired it from a New England collection of silhouette portraits. This silhouette would be excellent for anyone that collects silhouettes, folk art, or outsider art. It would also be a great addition to any interior as genuine wall art.
Dimensions
The backing card measures 5.25 x 4.25 inches.
Condition
The backing is unevenly trimmed, and the card displays fading to the coloration from age as expected.
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