Russell & Caroline

Little is known about the father and son duo who not only shared a name – Benjamin Pearce – but also a profession as silhouette artists. It is thought that Pearce the Elder was proficient at cutting the profiles whilst Pearce the Younger was proficient at bronzing them. They are associated with the Brighton area but were probably itinerant artists.

This pair of half-length cut profiles depict an elegant late Victorian couple: the bearded gentleman wears spectacles and a bowler hat; the lady with a monocle on a chain wears a fur-trimmed velvet coat and a fussy hat. The backing boards are respectively inscribed ‘Russell’ and ‘Caroline’, ‘relative[s] Granny Williamson’.

The silhouettes are in fine and clean condition and are housed in Hogarth style frames.