Pair of Profiles by Augustin Edouart

A handsome pair of cut silhouette profiles set against sepia watercolour backgrounds by the highly esteemed nineteenth century cutter, Augustin Edouart (1789-1861). Signed and dated on the obverse – ‘Augn Edouart fecit 1832’ a period when Edouart was based in Scotland and producing some of his finest work.

Backed with the artist’s circular trade label that advertises full-length sitting profiles at a cost of 7 shillings.

As an ex-Bonapartist claiming asylum in Britain, Augustin Edouart set himself up as a shopkeeper in Cheltenham specialising in French and fancy goods but unfortunately the enterprise was declared bankrupt in May 1826 and he needed to find an alternative way to support his family. Quite by chance he discovered, when challenged by a friend at a dinner-party, that he had a natural aptitude for cutting likenesses out of paper, so much so that he thereafter made a successful career of it. He toured extensively throughout the British Isles for several years cutting many thousands of profiles including well-known figures of the day, many of them authors, musicians, politicians and even royalty. In 1839 he set sail for America where he toured successfully for ten years before deciding to retire to his native France. He nearly didn’t make it though as his ship went down in a storm off Guernsey. Fortunately the passengers were all rescued but Edouart lost virtually the whole of his precious archive of work and the will to continue to work commercially.