Rider and Bazing (Rider, Thomas and Bazing, William)

Introduction:

This apparent partnership is known from two fine silhouettes, which bear either an inscription or trade label with the names Rider and Bazing. Rider is known to be an artist of silhouettes painted on glass but Bazing’s identity remains a mystery – indeed, he may have been the frame-maker, not artist of these particular pieces.

Rider is known to have worked in the late 1780s and 1790s in a number of styles, particularly painting on glass. Bazing’s identity is completely unknown; McKechnie only suggests an unproven claim between him and the Baisir family of engravers. He may even have been a framing partner of Rider rather than joint artist. From the style of the two pieces, they appear to have been produced in the early 1790s. One trade label was recorded in an entry by Mayne but not described in detail. One profile is housed in a fine oval gilt frame, with a leaf border on the inner edge, and glazed with a very fine verre eglomise surround.

In particular, one of the two known Rider and Bazing profiles is very fine work. The termination is of the convexity/concavity type, and plunges rather low in front. Fine detailed strokes show the sitter’s hair and the formation of his shirt-frill, while five regularly spaced dark patches clearly define the distance between the two layers of the frill. McKechnie has suggested that the marked improvement in quality between this piece and independent Rider pieces means it can be identified to Bazing. However, this cannot be confirmed. The other piece is a little less well executed, though still of above average quality for the time and medium.