Lovell, Thomas

Introduction:

Between 1791-1796 THOMAS LOVELL (dec. 1806) was employed anonymously as an in-house artist at the London studio of the phenomenally successful Leeds-born profilist John Miers (1757-1821). Conformation that Lovell worked for Miers is evidenced by his own, later, trade-label where he records himself as 'from Mr Miers'. Painting good quality works on plaster, his commercial history was unusual, insomuch as he was approximately 50 years old when he began crafting profiles and was operating a glass and pottery warehouse before, during and after his association with Miers.

Lovell's artistic association with the 111 Strand studio began after Miers' pupil and gifted copyist Samuel Houghton (dec. 1793) decamped, for whatever reason, to Edinburgh, first advertising there in the CALEDONIAN MERCURY July 1791. In her 'British Silhouette Artists 1760-1860' (1978), Mckechnie detected an unknown hand, doubtless Houghton's replacement, working in the studio from May that year and dubbed it 'X work'. However, in the nearly 50 years since the book's publication, enough Lovell profiles have surfaced to safely attribute 'X work' to Lovell's hand. In addition, John Field (1772-1848) is known to have been Miers' sole employee from 1796 (see 2022 John Field-Revision). thus establishing Lovell spent approximately 5 years at the studio.

Perhaps unsurprisingly, he never quite rose to the rarified benchmark of quality exhibited by Miers, Houghton or Field, but Lovell's abilities were undoubtedly of a high order, and all the more so given his age when he first took up the brush.

Painting exclusively bust-sized profiles, detailing of hair and attire is, generally, deftly applied. Rarely varying, bust-lines are terminated by a shallow convex-concave line and a notably blunt rear point. Lovell's anonymous works for Miers are housed in papier-mache or oval pressed brass frames while his own trade-labelled works are  recorded housed solely in papier-mâché frames, most often bearing fruitwood bezels. Glass is recorded  plain or decorated with concentric lines of verre églomisé. And, arguably, it may be that supplying glass was the origin of a Miers-Lovell connection.

While flat glass could be bought in and trimmed to suit in the studio, convex glass of very specific dimensions was needed to fit variously sized papier-mâché frames and required the specialised input of a glassmaker. When wed in 1767, Lovell's occupation was given as 'Glassman'; for 20 years he ran a glass and pottery warehouse and, though unconfirmed, contemporary London glass makers George and John Lovell were likely kin. So, feasibly, Lovell could  have been the conduit for Miers' glass requirements when Miers became London based.

At some point after 1796 Lovell became an independent  profilist. Few works bearing his trade-label are extant. As far as known he never advertised in newsprint and only appears, respectively, as a 'Profile Painter' and 'Profile Painter and Jeweller' in HOLDEN'S 1802 and 1805 directories. His trade-label reads, in part, 'THOMAS LOVELL, from Mr Miers, PROFILE PAINTER, JEWELLER and Miniature frame maker, 32 Bread Steet, Cheapside, LONDON'. Likenesses and duplicates were offered or reduced in scale for rings or brooches, old profiles could be copied, and offered too were 'Mourning rings and every article in the Jewellery line'.

Though the trade-label may well date from the beginning of the C19th, it seems illogical, though no dated work has surfaced, that Lovell would have entirely abandoned profile taking and its additional source of income between 1796-1802. His primary enterprise first recorded in the 1779 LONDON DIRECTORY was a 'seller of glass and earthenware' of 32 Bread St. Listed bankrupt in January 1783, five months later the LONDON GAZETTE of 24th May records him certified to continue trading. In 1787, by redemption, he was made a Freeman of the Needlemakers Livery Company, and sequential directories record his glass and pottery warehouse until 1799. That it was still in business in 1805 is evidenced in the MORNING HERALD 19th April when, seemingly acting as an agent for servants, enquiries were to be addressed to 'Mrs Lovell's'China Shop, 32 Bread Street'.

'Mrs Lovell' was born Jane Figgins at Devizes, Wiltshire in March 1742. It can only be assumed Thomas Lovell was of similar years, as his age is absent on his burial record. The couple married at St. Brides Fleet St. 8th September 1767. Jane bore 3 sons and 1 daughter between 1769-1780: Thomas #1 (born 1769), Thomas #2 (born 1776), Hannah (1778-1800) and John Figgins (born 1780). Buried aged 22 in November 1800 at St. Mildreds, Bread Street, of the siblings only Hannah's history is certain. However, worthy of mention is Jane's nephew, the highly innovative punch-cutter and letter-founder, Vincent Figgins (1766-1844). Living at Fetter Lane, Fleet St. at the time of her death, Jane Lovell was buried aged 81 at St Andrews, Holborn in January 1823.

Thomas Lovell was interred 17 years earlier at St. Mildreds, Bread Street, Cheapside, 23rd September 1806.

REVISED: 25 May 2026 (Brian Wellings)

 

 

 

Gallery Silhouettes