Kelfe, M. Lane, Mrs (McKechnie Section 5)
See Section Two for main entry
None of Mrs Kelfe's few extant advertisements mentions work on ivory. Nevertheless, the illustrated silhouette (unsigned) is so similar in style to examples painted on card at about the same date that experienced collectors have ascribed it to this artist. The silhouette is set beneath concave glass on the under side of a ring. The upper (flat) side of the ring is decorated with twists of hair and initials ('L.B.') worked in seed pearls.
59
The tiny profile (of a woman) is painted in almost solid black, but the whole of the base line, and the front of the bust-line, are edged with fine dots to indicate the frill of the décolleté dress. The hair-style, with hanging ribbons, suggests a date of 1779-81; the ribbons are painted partly in thinned pigment, with the decorative ends in black.
Ill. 1489
1489
Ring, containing on the under side a silhouette of an unknown woman painted on ivory, ascribed to Mrs M. Lane Kelfe, c. 1780. The upper side of the ring (59) is decorated with twists of hair and initials (‘L.B.’) worked in seed pearls. Size of oval: 7/8 x ½ in./23 x 13mm.
Ring, containing on the under side a silhouette of an unknown woman painted on ivory, ascribed to Mrs M. Lane Kelfe, c. 1780. The upper side of the ring (59) is decorated with twists of hair and initials (‘L.B.’) worked in seed pearls. Size of oval: 7/8 x ½ in./23 x 13mm.
Author’s collection