Wear it Pink

This finely painted portrait is by the hand of the lesser known artist Philip G. Dodd of London. Were it not for the initials W.S. picked out in seed pearls on the reverse, it may have been conceivable for it to be a self-portrait as it is superior to other known examples by this artist.

The portrait was painting during the 1820s when George IV was the arbiter of men’s fashion and when standing shirt collars, often high enough to brush the cheekbones, were all the rage. What’s most striking about him though is the pink tinge of his hair which may have been natural or the result of coloured hair powder. Coloured hair powders were introduced during the eighteenth century with pink being a fashionable choice for gentlemen.

The portrait is in excellent condition and is signed along the edge ‘P.G. Dodd 182?’ – the final digit is tricky to read. It is set in the original decoratively chased frame that is glazed on the reverse to reveal a sheaf of blonde hair laid on opalescent glass with the initials WS in seed pearls on a blue plaque. There are a few loose pearls in the back and a small area of discolouration on the edge at 7 o’clock.

As well as being a miniature painter, Philip G. Dodd was a goldsmith and jeweller based at Leadenhall Street in London. He exhibited at the Royal Academy and the Society of British Artists between 1826 and 1836.