A Tall Hat

Wearing an eye-catching tall hat topped with an ostrich feather, this lady has been skillfully painted in black and grey profile by the Leeds-based artist John Butterworth. Dating to around 1790, it is painted on ivory with a little scratchwork used to add texture to the hair; it also features the artist’s distinctively shaped bust-line termination.

The silhouette is set in a gold plated frame with a blue glass surround. The reverse is glazed to show an exquisite and immaculate display of hairwork in two shades with gold wire and seed pearls on pink foiled opalescent glass, the initials DB laid on a central blue glass oval.

Traditionally the sitter has been catalogued as Margery Bingham but the initials reverse gainsay that; it seems safe to assume though that her surname is Bingham.

John Butterworth was a second generation engraver and seal cutter. His venture into silhouette painting may have been influenced by John Miers who was living and working in the same area of Leeds. Butterworth’s body of work is small but of great merit.

There is slight dust under the front glass and a teeny spot of paint loss visible by her ear. This is nonetheless a very fine example by a rarely seen artist.

Ivory Registration: CAN9RKGW