A Dog Skin Case!

This portrait is attributed to Thomas Peat who worked initially in London before trying his luck at the popular spa towns where he would have been guaranteed a steady clientele. The portrait shows a lady a pale grey dress with a short waist and low neckline worn with a handkerchief fill-in. Her powdered hair is worn in loose curls secured with a bandeau, a style that was known as à la conseilleur.

The portrait is in fine condition and is set in the original gold frame that is glazed on the reverse to reveal a hand-written note commissioning “a neat Dog Skin Picture case with a spring”. The note is signed by Mr Myers of No. 3. Mr Myers was a jeweller on the Strand which was located close to Holborn where Thomas Peat had his studio. It gives a unique and interesting insight into the process of framing portrait miniatures.