Kelfe, M. Lane, Mrs (SCC Newsletter August 2002)

Mrs.Lane Kelfe fl.1778-1794

The'mystery’ of her style & output- where the latter?

Her background. Unfortunately little is known about Mrs. Lane Kelfe's background. Mrs. McKechnie tried to discover some factual details without much success, but she was able to establish that Mrs.L.K. was painting silhouettes in Bath as early as 1781. Also that she was painting in Cornwall as late as 1794. It is possible that she painted after this date. She was obviously an itinerant artist who placed advertisements in local papers in the areas she visited. As a result of these advertisements it is known that she worked in Bath in 1783 as well as 1781 - Oxford in 1783 & 1784 - London at 20,Duke Street, St. James' in 1785 and as mentioned in Cornwall in 1794. Also she worked in Southampton, where her only recorded printed label was used. Other dating information is from the inscriptions on the back of her silhouettes. Unfortunately these are usually covered by the frame backing paper but are always signed with place & date.

When Mrs.L.K. was working in Bath she had rooms above Mr. Youngclass's

Confectionery at the bottom of Bond Street - examples of her work were on view in the shop. However, it seems that another silhouette artist had rooms in the premises at the same time! As a result Mrs.L.K. entreated her clients "to observe the name on the door" before entering! It has been suggested that this other artist was Mrs. Harrington. Mr. Arthur Mayne in his book has suggested that it was Mrs. Collins. Whoever the lady was it is clear that Mrs. L.K. did not want to be associated in anyway or to have would-be clients preferring her rival! Perhaps this reveals something of her character and determination -but it also shows that the practice of the silhouette artist was something of a 'cut-throat' business and you did not make friends with your 'enemies' if you wanted to earn a respectable living!

Her work. Mrs.McKechnie has entries in three Sections of her Book - i.e.3, 5 & 7. Her main entry is in Section 3 (artists that painted on paper & card). The entry in Section 5 is due to the fact that Mrs. L.K. advertised that she painted on glass and enamel backing this work with satin. However, there are no recorded examples of this type of work that can be attributed to her. The entry in Section 7 (artists who used colour or part colour) is not a convincing entry in my view. Mrs. McKechnie illustrates an officer, which she attributes to Mrs. L.K. on the basis of the "thick delineation of the eyelash" and the fraility of the paper on which it is painted (plus some other ? stylistic details).This officer is illustrated in the costume chapter p.79 illus.117. It does not indicate Mrs.L.K.'s work to me!

As Mrs. McKechnie rightly points out Mrs. L.K. painted in a varied style -this makes attribution difficult without a label or an inscription.

On the other hand Mr.John Woodiwiss in his book "British Silhouettes" sees her style as "firm and individual" - mentioning that she painted in sombre black with a lighter tone for lace ,caps and frills.Also that she sometimes embellished in an attractive shade of greyl Mr.Arthur Mayne describes her work as "rare and of a rare beauty". I am not sure that I would agree with the latter view but I regard her as an interesting artist, who merits our attention. Mr. Desmond Coke in his "The Art of Silhouette" has a very short entry on Mrs.L.K. He describes her as having painted "a few charming silhouettes". He thought she was probably not a professional - he is clearly inaccurate with both statements. Mrs. L.K.referred to having painted 1400 likenesses of the nobility and gentry - this may be an exaggeration but what has happen to most of these?

Mrs. L .Kelfe page 2

Her style. Her early silhouettes are painted in plain black with some details of head-dress and buffon in thinned pigment. I know of four recorded examples of this type of work. The first is illustrated above (Mrs.McK.p.491 illus.866) and was in the Jack Pollak Collection. I was able to look at this silhouette with some care at the Pollak Collection Sale on 21.2.1996 (Lot 54) and I was not very impressed! It was not well painted and the lace 'dots' on the head-dress were carelessly executed. It has the 'feel of a continental work and I wondered if it had been copied. However, it was backed by her only known label (illus. above -apologies for lack of clarity).Why she used the label for this work and none others as far as we know is difficult to understand. Two of the other examples in this style I have photocopied below -both are more competently painted. On the left is Mary Wilmot - she was painted in 1781.The inscription on the back is also illustrated on her right - both are in Mrs.McK on p.492 illus.867 & 871.The silhouette is in the Victoria & Albert Collection. On the right is photocopied Mrs. Walker of Tiverton. Mrs.L.K. is known to have worked in the West Country - so this was attributed to her on stylistic grounds as it is very similar to that of Mary Wilmot. It was sold at the Andrew Ransford Collection Sale on 24.11.99 Lot226. Note that the bust-line termination of the two ladies is not similar. The fourth example I have not been able to illustrate - but this was painted in plain black and was sold at Christies,S.Ken on 7.3.95. and was bought by a Member of the S.C.C. It had been inscribed by Mrs.L.K.

Mrs. L. Kelfe page 3.

The two photographe above are painted in what I will her grey style. It is in this style that works are usually recognisable as being painted by Mrs.L.K. On the right is an unnamed lady dressed in a somewhat elaborate bonnet and a lace buffon with a bow on her bodice. Her face is black and she is painted in shades of grey with black lines used to emphasise details of her hat and dress. The textures of her hat and dress are well shown. She has a short stubby eyelash. She is painted on thin textured paper that has become somewhat discoloured over the years. Some paper restoration for her might be considered She is inscribed on the back "M.Lane Kelfe fecit Bath 1784". She is housed in an ebonised wooden frame with a gilded crenellated inner border - a frame frequently used by Mrs.L.K. On the left is an unnamed scholar - almost certainly an Oxford undergraduate. Again he is nicely painted in shades of grey with a black face. Details of his coat are shown with black lines and some use of gum arabic. His shirt frill is very neatly painted. He has a short eyelash. There is some use of chinese white on his curls. He is housed in a pressed brass frame and inscribed on the back "M.Lane Kelfe fecit Oxford 1784 in Mrs.L.K.'s very small and neat handwriting. He is ex. Peggy Hickman Collection. I apologise for the small patch of light that seems to have 'got into' his photograph. Over on the next page I have photocopied several more works in Mrs.L.K.'s grey style in the silhouette literature.

Mrs. L.Kelfe pqge 4.

Above on the right is an officer said to be E. A. Girling. It is an illustration from Desmond Coke's book "The Art of Silhouette" plate V on page 36. I have no further details on this silhouette but assume it is inscribed in the usual way. It is finely painted with some dash and panache - some of this has been lost in the photocopying I am afraid. Above in the middle is another undergraduate from Oxford -very similar to the scholar on the previous page. He is illustrated twice in Mrs. McKechnie's Book - I have used the colour reproduction on page 356 illus.4. He is inscribed and dated 1783 Oxford and is also housed in a pressed brass frame. Above on the left is the Rev. Benetto (see page 492 illus.869 in Mrs.McK.'s Book) He is described as being painted in a "pale distinctly bluish grey". Below on the left is his wife Mrs. Benetto - she is illustrated in a costume chapter of the Book on page 131 illus.184. She is clearly quite a fashionable lady Unfortunately her silhouette has been cut-down to fit a papier mache frame and her backing paper has discoloured over the years. The couple were painted at Fowey (in Cornwall) in 1794 and inscribed accordingly. Note the unusual bust-line termination of the Rev. Benetto. Both belong to the Bristol Art Gallery. The bonnetted lady on the right below was sold at the Morgan May Sale on 22.2.1985 (Lot116) Her inscription is "M. Lane Kelfe fecit Bath l794.

I have tried to photocopy Mrs.Benetto's inscription but it may not be very clear - it is in the Book on page 493 illus.873. This is illustrated below.

Mrs. L.Kelfe page 5.

Above on the left I have photographed a silhouette, which is illustrated in F. Wellesley's "One Hundred Silhouette. Portraits". As you will see it is of Mrs. John Jay, wife of the Governor of New York. I know nothing more about this silhouette but it looks like a work by Mrs.L.K. to me. In the Wellesley Book it is unattributed. It has many similarities to the bonnetted lady from the Morgan May Sale on the previous page. She has the short eyelash and the 'treatment' of her curls (highlighted with chinese white) seem very typical of Mrs.L.K's work. Presumably there is every possibility that Mrs. Jay visited a part of England where Mrs. L.K. was 'performing', I hope so! On the right is the photocopy of a silhouette illustrated in Mrs.N.Jackson's Dictionary. It is of the Rev,John Gatliff -painted like many I have illustrated in Oxford in 1784. It is similar in style to the other Oxford academics and very well painted especially his frill. It is illustrated on plate 97.

I like to take the view that Mrs.L.K.'s grey style was her particular contribution to the art of silhouette. I regard her earlier black work as somewhat derivative and not easily attributed to her. She advertised work on glass and enamel but it is possible that she was not 'happy ' working on these surfaces so gave up. She also stated that she could reduce works for jewellery but no attributable jewel pieces have been recorded. It seems unlikely that she did full-length figures. I think she was 'comfortable' doing bust-length in her grey style with some variations from time to time. What has happened to her extensive output (i.e. 1400 plus) is difficult to know. She rarely appears in the salerooms unlike her contemporaries such as Mrs. Beetham, and Mrs. Harrington. Her rather diffident inscriptions (many of which would be covered over the years) may have had a bearing. I just do not know!