White George

Introduction:

White worked in the 1850s in the North of England as a silhouettist and photographer. His work is of rather high quality, with particularly delicate gilding. However, there has been some debate over attribution due to the common nature of ‘White’ as a surname.

Evidence from trade labels suggests that White was based in the North of England. A trade label addressed to Blackpool is repeated on a photograph owned by a family in Ripon, Yorkshire, demonstrating not only that White worked across North England but also that he was a photographer. Work by a number of artists named ‘White’ based in London has been attributed to the ‘Northern White’, but this connection cannot be confirmed. White cut from dull-grey paper. Three printed trade labels exist and one common stencilled inscription has been recorded, reading ‘Cut with Scissors at White’s’. There is no indication of framing styles.

White’s work is of fine quality, particularly considering its later dates. Most pieces are full-length, though one bust-length piece is known. White is seen to take great care over his gilding, most obviously in one example of a pair of boys fishing. He was skilled at depicting hair, using Chinese white and considered brush strokes. White appears to have given some thought to the settings of his silhouettes but bases are generally less skilled than figures.