Woodhouse, John

Introduction:

John Woodhouse was an artist of above-average ability, who brought a lively and artistic quality to his work on glass. He took great pains to ensure his work was displayed at its best, backing full length profiles with clear hanging instructions.

Trade labels and contemporary directories place Woodhouse in Newcastle and Alnwick in the early 19th century. His main trade was that of “painter and glazier”, so silhouette work was perhaps a lucrative sideline. Most examples seem to have been painted in the 1810s and 1820s, though one example has been dated to 1833. Woodhouse painted both bust and full length profiles on glass, but bust length work does appear to be of earlier date. Quite uniquely, full length work is backed with detailed instructions for hanging; silhouettes should be placed “not exceeding 5 feet on a side-light” or “upon a side or back light not exceeding 4 ft. 6 in. in height from the ground floor” for example. These instructions have proved an essential method of identifying Woodhouse pieces. Two trade labels are known, the second dated to 1825. Full length profiles have been seen in rather heavy frames of different types, including solid oak and mahogany with a gilt surround. Bust length silhouettes are framed in oval turned wood or papier-mache.

Both bust and full length pieces are well executed and full of character. Known bust length examples are painted much in the style of Rosenberg or William Hamlet the elder. Woodhouse does not seem to have flattered his sitters; hair is wild and wiry, and the tye-wigs of the period are shown as thin and scrappy. Where transparency was required, Woodhouse used a needle. His bust-line finish tends to a concavity near the centre. Woodhouse's full length silhouettes are notable for their lightly painted backgrounds, apparently achieved by light touching with an almost dry brush. Density in the background decoration is achieved with a coarser brush. However, hand formation a little clumsy, the fingers appearing thick and large. These pieces are certainly seen at their best when his hanging instructions are followed, as the painted figure throws a shade against the ghostly background. McKechnie has described Woodhouse’s work as broadly life-like and attributes him with a keen sense of observation – qualities which make his silhouettes enduringly popular.