Ardrossan (McKechnie Section 7)

Included by reason of a silhouette of a woman, signed beneath the bust-line in a shadow line such as was used by John Dixon and other artists. The signature is followed by the date 'Septr. 1837'. The name Ardrossan suggests that the artist was Scottish. Alternatively, it is possible that the profile was painted by an unknown artist working at Ardrossan in Ayrshire; but it was not the custom to inscribe place-names in the position where this name is written on the piece.

The profile is painted in very dark grey on card, with the sitter's bonnet and pèlerine left white; the detail on these was added in thinned pigment, with-out Chinese white. The ribbons on the bonnet are painted in pale-blue water-colour. The artist used gold paint, coarsely applied, to indicate the curls of the hair and some dress detail not rendered in thinned pigment. The bust-line, shaped with a convexity at the arm termination, is finished with the shadow line already mentioned.

Ill. 1592