John Miers (1756–1821) “Silhouette Portrait of a Gentleman” Circa 1808

"Silhouette Portrait of a Gentleman"
John Miers (1756–1821)
Watercolour on card
Miers's original trade label verso 
English, Circa 1808

Measures:-
9.7 cm high x 7.9 cm wide (oval)
15.8 cm x 13.7 cm (framed)

A strong profile portrait of a gentleman by John Miers (1756–1821), one of the most famous of the late 18th/early 19th Century silhouette artists.

The frame retains Miers's original trade label and some unintelligible handwriting with the date 1808 (possibly the year of the sitting). The sitter has not been identified but the integral hanger incorporates a motif of the Rose of England, the Thistle of Scotland and the Shamrock of Ireland, suggesting that they were, perhaps, a statesman, soldier or cleric.

Literature:-
For notes on the artist see p.128-130 (plus various illustrations), Mrs. E. Nevill Jackson, "Silhouette: Notes & Dictionary", London, Methuen & Co Ltd, 1938

For a description of Miers's work see p.83, 103 etc, Emma Rutherford & Lulu Guinness, "Silhouette, The Art of The Shadow", New York, Rizzoli, 2009.