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Thomas Dimsdale,
by Henry Bone

Thomas, 1st Baron Dimsdale (1712-1800)

Thomas Dimsdale was an eminent physician who published The present methods of inoculation for the smallpox in 1767. The treatise impressed Empress Catherine II of Russia at a moment when a severe epidemic of smallpox was sweeping through Russia. She was determined that she and her son, Grand Duke Paul should receive the inoculation.

Dr Dimsdale, accompanied by his son Nathaniel, visited Russia in 1768 and performed successfully the potentially dangerous treatment. The Empress and the future Paul I were liberal in their gratitude to the doctor and created him a Baron of the Russian Empire. They also presented Nathaniel with a magnificent four-colour gold snuffbox, now also in the Gilbert Collection.

In this portrait by Henry Bone, painted in 1800, Dimsdale is shown with powdered hair, plum-coloured jacket and waistcoat, with a white cravat. The picture is mounted in an ormolu frame with laurel and sheaf of wheat surmounted by flowers. The counter enamel is inscribed,

Henry Bone pinxt.
June 1800, after a
miniature by
A. Plimer

Henry Bone (1755-1834)

Henry Bone, the best-known English enameller, was born in Truro. Son of a woodcarver and cabinetmaker, he produced a dynasty of enamellers which included Henry Pierce Bone and William Bone. As a child he was taught art and at sixteen had been apprenticed to a porcelain manufacturer in Plymouth, painting landscapes and floral scenes.

By 1779, he had settled in London apparently working in an enamel workshop, painting decoration for watches and jewellery. In 1781 he exhibited his first enamel portrait miniature at the Royal Academy, where he continued to show regularly until 1831. Most of his works were on enamel, but he did make a few miniatures on ivory early in his career. His enamels were usually copies after full-scale paintings, although a few were from life. He made some series, including an important group of figures from the Elizabethan era.

Bone experimented with enamelling techniques and, with larger plaques, often inscribed on the reverse detailed information about the original painting, as well as his signature and the date. His are works are in major museums including the Metropolitan and the National Portrait Gallery.

Glossaries

ormolu - gilded bronze
counter-enamel - the reverse side of the enamel base, usually covered with a thin layer of plain enamel to help to prevent the base from distorting

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