Dempsey, John Church (McKechnie Section 1)

See also Sections Two and Six

Recorded by Jackson (The History of Silhouettes). All Dempsey's full-length work (for which he is perhaps chiefly known) was cut and then painted.

Nothing is certainly known of Dempsey's origins. Graves (Dictionary of Artists) lists a Charles W. Dempsey, who exhibited 'domestic' subjects in Suffolk Street, London, in 1880, who may have been a descendant. Very few authenticated dates are known. Most available examples of his work appear to date from the period 1838-42, but it is evident from some of the early sources quoted by Jackson that he must have been in practice earlier. Jackson illustrates a press notice (headed by a bronze-against-black bust profile of Robert Taylor, 'Lord Kennedy') which she dates to 1840.

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At this time the artist was showing 'upwards of 1,000 Likenesses of public characters, taken in Birmingham, Manchester, Edinburgh, Dundee, Limerick, Whitehaven, Bristol, Liverpool, Dublin, Aberdeen, Glasgow, Leeds, Portsmouth and Bath.' By 1840, therefore, Dempsey had toured Ireland and Scotland as well as the north of England; this must imply that he produced a quantity of work in the early 1830s which is not now known. Miss Betty Bird owns an example (illustrated in Section Two) taken in Bristol in 1841. The inscription on the back gives the date and the number 1209. This figure is hard to explain, unless it refers to the artist's 1209th piece of work. This theory, however, does not tally with the figure of 1,000 mentioned in the handbill used in Birmingham in the previous year, which appears to refer only to picked 'public characters'. Perhaps the term 'public characters' was an exaggeration, and some of Dempsey's sitters were ordinary citizens. Possibly the 1209 refers to a silhouette taken on a previous visit to Bristol, and the silhouette in Miss Bird's collection is a copy.

It has always been said that it was Dempsey whom Edouart was mocking in his Treatise written in Cork in 1834 and published in 1835. The relevant passage reads, 'Profiles with gold hair drawn on them, coral earrings, blue necklaces, white frills, green dresses, are ridiculous . . ’. If this passage really refers to Dempsey, the artist must have been in practice at least as early as 1832-33. Since, however, other artists were also working in this style, and no dated example of Dempsey's work produced during this period is known, I consider it doubtful that Edouart was referring to Dempsey. A number of silhouettes of the 1830s, showing this type of work, lack positive provenance.

Dempsey probably visited Liverpool more than once in the late 1830s, possibly on journeys to and from Ireland or Scotland. As the illustrated full-length portrait of the Duke of Argyll, dressed for shooting, shows him wearing the Cumberland style of top-hat and patterned trousers (both first in fashion in c. 1837). one might guess that Dempsey was in Scotland in that year.

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From the profile of little Mary Jane Baldwin, in the former Woodiwiss collection, it is evident that Dempsey was in Stourport in 1839. We know from the press notice, or handbill, referred to above that he visited Birmingham in 1840 (probably late in the year); since he used two addresses there, he seems to have stayed there for some time. A silhouette, bearing an address in Lower Arcade, Bristol, and dated 1840, recently appeared for sale in a London auction house. Dempsey probably also visited Bath during the same year; he certainly visited Bristol again in 1841 (as we know from the silhouette in Miss Bird's collection) and probably Bath again also; and he visited Bristol yet again in 1842 (as we know from the profile miniature recorded in Section Six). The signed and illustrated figure inscribed 'well-known at Taunton' is difficult to date. The sitter, an older man, was unlikely to be dressed in the height of fashion, but the silhouette might have been taken in c. 1842. In Dempsey's book (discussed below) was a double portrait of two musicians, wearing tail-coats and brocade waistcoats, signed 'Jhn. Dempsey Pinxt, 1842'. No place name is given, but we certainly know that the artist must have been working at least as late as 1842.

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Another silhouette (of a barber, wearing a tail-coat, instead of the fashionable frock-coat, probably because it was more convenient to work in, with an apron worn over it) may have been taken as late as c. 1842-44.

We can only conclude that, if Edouart was indeed referring to Dempsey in his Treatise, then Dempsey would have been working as early as c. 1832-33, and that he may have been working as late as 1844.

Jackson appears to have seen another press notice, or handbill, used in Liverpool. Although this apparently bore no date, it seems to have been in use some time before the Birmingham notice of 1840, since the lowest price given was as low as 3d. Phrases from this included. 'Likenesses in Shade 3d./Bronzed 6d./Coloured Is. 6d. and upwards' and ... 'Emigrants, Travellers, as well as the Public that the penny postage offers a safe and cheap method of sending mementoes.' The first of these excerpts tells us that Dempsey produced black profiles for his lowest current price. In his Birmingham handbill, however, the lowest price quoted was Is. (again, presumably for black profiles).

Dempsey kept a record book, formerly owned by Jackson. who mentions it in her Dictionary. This does not seem to have been a book of duplicates, of the kind kept by Edouart or C. L. Barber, but a sample book, showing the various techniques by which the artist was prepared to take silhouettes. On the first page, in ornamental lettering, were the words. 'Dempsey's unrivalled Collection of Silhouettes. Caution! whoever uses this book please keep it flat' The book showed the many attractive styles which Dempsey used. Some heraldic painting was shown, including the 'Achievement of Arms' of both the Duke of Sutherland and of Earl Ferrers. Some busts in Indian ink were also illustrated; these were described as 'Stippled Miniatures on Card'. Other painted work showed groups of children holding flowers or birds, and most of the cut and painted full- length figures were set against landscape backgrounds.

One of Dempsey's most important works is the group silhouette, Liverpool Exchange (illustrated by Jackson and owned at the time by Miss Jeffry, a Liverpool lady, born in 1841, who remembered some of the people depicted). This piece, showing a painted background of the old Exchange Buildings (built in 1808), depicted the city merchants' rendezvous in the courtyard before it. Eighty figures were displayed in this group; about thirty-five of these, in the foreground, were named, and were cut as well as painted; the remainder were painted in the far distance. Although this group was finished in 1840. many of the figures may have been cut on earlier visits to Liverpool. The costume of some suggests a date in the late 1830s. I have in my own collection the figures of 'Mr Haigh' and 'Mr Lister' apparently from this group.

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Whether these are the original figures (which Dempsey cut, painted and later made smaller copies of for the group), or whether they come from his record book, cannot be said. The latter theory seems the more plausible. Jackson refers to them (Jack Dempsey, Silhouettist, Connoisseur. Nov. 1928); she suggests that 'Mr Lister' was a relative of the Reverend James Lister who, from 1803 to 1844. was the popular pastor of the Baptist Chapel at the corner of Lime Street and Elliott Street in Liverpool. Other figures include those of George Cooke and Amos Bigland (discussing the price of' cotton), S. Gath (a 'dandy' on the Exchange), J. Taylor (with a roll of papers in his hand, and Mr Reynolds (wearing the fashionable military-style frock-coat). I. (or J.)Mann (illustrated) is also included in the group.

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Before discussing Dempsey's cut work. I shall make some general comments on his whole output.

It is clear, from Dempsev's Liverpool handbills, that he offered plain black profiles, and examples may come to light. It seems more likely that these would be full-length, rather than bust-length, since Dempsey's smaller pieces were usually painted. We do not know whether the bronzed profiles, which he also advertised, were full-length, but most of his signed full-length pieces are painted with almost all the clothing in colour, and the face in shades of sepia or mid-brown. Dempsey's work in this field is so cleverly cut and pasted down that it is sometimes almost impossible to see the cut edge. The edge is concealed not by painting, but simply by skilled craftsmanship. It is difficult to tell whether Dempsey used coloured paper, or white paper which he coloured himself. He always used body colour on full-length work, which might indicate that he used coloured papers, but, as there is absolutely no sign of any rubbing on surfaced papers used by such artists as W. H. Beaumont, Dempsey may have cut from white paper, afterwards skilfully covered all over with water-colour. This use of body colour should be noted, as there are a number of profiles (mainly in black or sepia, dating from the late 1830s, and, though of doubtful provenance, sometimes attributed to Dempsey) which show touches of thinned watercolour without the use of Chinese white. Unless they show body colour, however, they cannot be stated with certainty to be Dempsey's work.

On his authenticated full-length silhouettes, Dempsey used almost any colour or shade, since he no doubt painted his sitters in the clothes which they were wearing. In the figures of Mr Haigh and Mr Lister, Haigh, whose hair is finely painted in gold, is wearing a pale blue cravat, dark bluish-grey frock-coat, buff trousers and black shoes. Lister wears a white cravat, a gay, mainly red plaid waistcoat, brownish-grey frock-coat and pale blue-grey trousers. His hair and whiskers are painted in Chinese white. Generally speaking, Dempsey appears to have used gold for the hair of his younger sitters, white for older

subjects.

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In the 'tinted silhouette' of the 'well-known' man at Taunton, blue predominates. Hat, cravat, and frock-coat are shown in a refined shade of Antwerp blue, while the umbrella is in a greenish hue, and the trousers are in white, with grey seams and shading. Dempsey's barber is a colourful figure: his hair and whiskers are skilfully painted in gold, his ‘scarf’ necktie is in a rich plaid mixture, his gloves are brown, and his tail-coat and pantaloons are grey, made interesting by deft touches of shadow and highlighting with Chinese white. Many of the buttons on these sitter's coats are shown in gold. Dempsey seems to have achieved his gold not by the use of gold paint, but by a clever use of yellow pigment, the maximum highlighting being effected by skilled mixing with Chinese white.

Unfortunately, none of these figures are set against the coloured backgrounds recorded in Dempsey's sample book. Figures in an exterior setting stand on well formulated flagstone bases of a yellowish hue; those in an interior setting appear to be standing on planked flooring. I have seen no figure by Dempsey set on the flooring of concentric circles favoured by other artists working at about the same period.

Jackson records a fine example of Dempsey's work (in a collection in the United States), entitled The Whip Seller. She writes that it is painted entirely in brown and is 'heavily bronzed'. This bronzing may have been achieved by the clever use of yellow paint which is evident on the examples already described.

Jackson likens some of Dempsey's work to that of Richard Dighton (see Section Two) and his father Robert. Most of his figures are large, some being over 10 in. hight. With their skilful brushwork and posing, these are very fine portraits.

Jackson appears to have seen at least one printed trade label of Dempsey's, apparently (to judge from the context) used in Liverpool, which Dempsey probably visited more than once and certainly lived in for a period while preparing the figures for his vast Liverpool Exchange group.

Inscriptions by Dempsey, or on his works, have been seen: one of these, in the artist's hand, is illustrated.

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Dempsey's signature (usually 'J. Dempsey' or 'J. D.') is normally placed (on full-length work) on the flooring or other base on which the figure stands, or (on bust-length examples) underneath the bust, near the front.

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