Barrett, Mary, Miss (McKechnie Section 2)

Recorded by Jackson (Dictionary) on account of a much-quoted advertisement in the Exeter Flying Post on 2 May 1799:

Striking Likenesses in Profile of the Honorable Lord Duncan, neatly painted on superfine wove vellum paper, may be had of M. Barrett, Miniature profile painter on the New Bridge, Exeter, at two shillings and sixpence each. Vivant Rex et Regina.

N.B. Striking Likenesses painted in miniature and profile, shaded, from three shillings and sixpence to One Guinea. Time of sitting for profile, One Minute.

The artist who published this advertisement should clearly not be confused with the Mrs Barrett who is included in Section Three, and who refers on her trade label only to work on glass. Foskett identifies the advertiser as a Miss M. Barret, or Barrett, daughter of George Barret, RA. A pupil of Romney, and possibly also of the miniature painter Mrs Mee, this Miss Barrett exhibited at the Royal Academy in 1797 and 1800, and became a member of the 'Old' Water-colour Society in 1823. Graves lists a total of forty-four exhibits (eight at the Royal Academy, thirty-six at the 'Old' Water-colour Society) during the years 1796-1835. Miss Barrett lived in London, with her brother, G. Barrett the younger, and painted still lifes and birds as well as portrait miniatures and (if the advertisement quoted above was indeed hers) black profiles. She died in 1836.

If this Miss M. Barrett was the advertiser, she was probably on tour painting miniatures and silhouettes during the late 1790s. Her visit to Exeter would almost certainly have been one of many such excursions in the provinces, although her list of Royal Academy exhibits indicates that she was based in London. Nevertheless, it seems strange that a miniaturist of fair repute should be stressing in her advertisements that she had taken profiles of a public figure who had been at the height of his fame two years previously. The subject of the profiles offered for sale in the advertisement was a naval officer who had a long and distinguished career. Adam Duncan, the younger son of Alexander Duncan, Provost of Dundee, was born in Dundee on 1 July 1731. He entered the Navy in c. 1746, under Robert Haldane (an older nephew, then Captain of the frigate Shoreham). By 1780 he was a captain and distinguished himself in the famous encounter with Don Juan de Langara off Cape St Vincent. In 1787 he was promoted Rear-Admiral of the Blue, and eventually, on 14 February 1799, Admiral of the White. On 30 October 1797 he was elevated to the peerage as Baron Duncan of Lundie and Viscount Duncan of Camperdown. It seems that it was in 1797 that he was at the height of his fame, for George III boarded his ship at Sheerness to thank him personally for his services. He was also publicly thanked both by the House of Commons and the House of Lords, and was granted the freedom of the City of London.

The silhouette artist in question, then, was selling 'stock' profiles of Lord Duncan some two years after he was at the height of his fame. She may previously have visited Portsmouth and had an opportunity to take the admiral's profile at a 'live' sitting, but we do not know. In the advertisement, the word `shaded' should be noted; it indicates that the artist offered to take silhouettes showing the sitter's dress in full detail. The reference to `superfine wove vellum paper' is also significant. True vellum was, of course, made from the skins of animals. The paper used by the advertiser, however, was probably 'vellum-style' paper, with a soft surface for painting. This paper might be a clue to the identification of her work, none of which I have seen. As the `Time of Sitting was only One Minute', the artist probably used a pantograph. One would expect her silhouettes to have been framed either in pearwood or in papier mâché.

We do not know whether this artist used a printed trade label. As for her signature, it is perhaps significant that (according to Foskett) miniatures by Miss M. Barrett were sometimes signed 'M. Barrett pinxt' (the surname spelt with two t's). Foskett illustrates a miniature of George Romney by her. The face is well painted and shows firm delineation, but the clothing is shown only in rough detail. Gum arabic appears to have been used; possibly Miss Barrett used it on her silhouettes also.