Barrett

Introduction:

Due to changes in both street names and areas of London from the 19th century onwards, there is some confusion as to Barrett’s actual address. His given address does not seem to correspond with any existent potential sites. However, it has been conjectured that either Barrett was the proprietor of a grocery shop in Holborn, London now lost, or that he worked from the premises of ‘The Bull Tavern’, a likely site in the area of his given address. Barrett’s profiles range from bust-length to full size portraits. The fact that he worked in lead pencil can be clearly seen in one of his full-length portraits. His work is not particularly fine and his use of colour is not regarded as sharp or clear – in fact his use of watercolour has been described by McKechnie as “clumsy”.