Dempsey, John Church (McKechnie Section 2)
See Section One for main entry
Many of Dempsey's bust-length profiles, as well as many of those intended for jewellery pieces, were painted straight on to card. Three of the jewellery pieces (illustrated) are taken from an illustration in an article by Jackson ('Jack Dempsey, Silhouettist', Connoisseur, November 1928). It is not quite clear from this article whether all the profiles intended for jewellery pieces were painted on card, or whether some were painted on ivory; and I have been unable to examine any examples. Some of the examples illustrated in this Section may, therefore, have been painted on ivory. Some silhouettes are painted partly in colour, and there should, therefore, strictly speaking, be an entry on Dempsey in Section Seven, but, for convenience, all small-sized painted work by Dempsey is considered here (except for one example in which the sitter's face is depicted with flesh tints; see Section Six).
Dempsey, who kept a `pattern' book and was in practice over a period of years, painted his small profiles in different styles: some in black, well touched with gold; others in black, with some colour used for trimmings; others in colour, with the base colour shown on the sitter's face. On three of the illustrated examples the sitter's face is in grey. Common to most of Dempsey's painted bust-length profiles is the long, slanting bust-line. The profiles are rather long, and the slant is such that in the front the profiles are half-length; those of women show the line of the waist in front, which, combined with the clothing detail (which is usually depicted), is of great help in dating the work.
736
One of the illustrated jewellery pieces is full-length. Designed for a rosewood trinket box, it is painted in gold against black. Other small pieces illustrated in Jackson's article in the Connoisseur show the same sitter as in the illustrated locket-brooch, also painted in black and gold against grey, set in an ivory and tortoiseshell patch box, with an oval gold surround to the silhouette; also the profile of a man in a gold frame, with a surround of plaited hair, attached to a tortoiseshell étui.
Ills. 733-736
Dempsey, John (fl ? 1832-? 1844)
733
Unknown woman
Silhouette painted on card in grey and colour
c. 1838-40
4 x 3in./102 x 77mm.
Unknown woman
Silhouette painted on card in grey and colour
c. 1838-40
4 x 3in./102 x 77mm.
Signed ‘J.D.’. The probable date is suggested by the bulky shawl.
From E. Nevill Jackson, ‘Jack Dempsey, Silhouettist’ (November 1928), by courtesy of the ‘Connoisseur’
734
Unknown man
Silhouette painted on card, pencilled in gold
1841
4 x 3in./102 x 77mm.
Frame: black reeded wood
Unknown man
Silhouette painted on card, pencilled in gold
1841
4 x 3in./102 x 77mm.
Frame: black reeded wood
Inscribed on the reverse, Jno. Dempsey, Artist, Lower Arcade, Bristol, 1841’. The number 1209, also inscribed, might refer to an entry in a duplicate book.
Miss Betty Bird collection
735
Two articles of jewellery (probably late 1830s) for which John Dempsey painted silhouettes: left, a small brooch. Each silhouette is painted in black and gold, with the sitter’s face in grey, against a grey base colour; the example shown on the right s painted with some colour.
Two articles of jewellery (probably late 1830s) for which John Dempsey painted silhouettes: left, a small brooch. Each silhouette is painted in black and gold, with the sitter’s face in grey, against a grey base colour; the example shown on the right s painted with some colour.
From E. Nevill Jackson, ‘Jack Dempsey, Silhouettist’ (November 1928), by courtesy of the ‘Connoisseur’
736
Rosewood trinket box, with a full-length silhouette of a woman by John Dempsey, painted in gold, ? c. 1842.
Rosewood trinket box, with a full-length silhouette of a woman by John Dempsey, painted in gold, ? c. 1842.
From E. Nevill Jackson, ‘Jack Dempsey, Silhouettist’ (November 1928), by courtesy of the ‘Connoisseur’