| George Washington (1732-99)
George Washington was the first
President of the United States of America from 1789 to 1797 (he
refused a third term). He was Commander in Chief of the Revolutionary
Army in the American Revolution from 1775 to 1776 and was called
'the Father of His Country'.
Washington is shown full-length in a black
suit and frilled cravat, his right hand outstretched, his left holding
his sword. He is standing beside a table, on which are books, a
silver inkwell, a scroll and a black hat. There are other volumes
beneath the table, a red velvet chair to the right and pillars and
a red curtain behind.
This miniature of Washington after the
Lansdowne portrait is one of three commissioned by William Bingham
of Philadelphia from Gilbert Stuart (not Gabriel as Bone incorrectly
wrote) which was sent to the Marquess of Lansdowne by Bingham as
a gift. It is now on loan to the National Gallery, Washington. Another
version is in the White House and a third, that owned by Bingham,
in the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts.
The picture was painted in 1825 and is
signed 'HBone' and dated on the front. An inscription on
the counter enamel reads,
General George Washington
President of the United States
of America
London
1825
Painted by Henry Bone R.A.
Enamel painter to His Majesty and
En.L painter to His R.H. The Duke of York
&c &c After the Original painted
in America by Gabriel Stewart, and
now in the possession of - Williams Esq.r
of Finsbury Square - London
N.B. Cracked in the 5th fire
& finished by the permission of
Mr. Williams from the Original
picture.
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
counter enamel - the
reverse side of the enamel base, usually covered with a thin layer
of plain
back to the
collection
|
the
Gilbert silver