Gillespie, J. H.

Introduction:

Little is known about J.H Gillespie’s background. However, it is clear from his handbills, and trade labels that he was an itinerant artist, travelling thoughout Great Britain and America. It appears though that he did not enjoy the success of some of his contemporaries, such as Edouart.

Gillespie is known to have been working in England and Scotland from 1810-1820. An undated handbill from Bridgenorth advertises his services and the use of a physiogrotrace to get an accurate outline of his sitter. It is recorded that he then travelled on to America and Canada between 1829 and 1839, although there is little information about his time. There are three trade labels attributed to Gillespie; the wording on one being “Drawn by J.H.Gillespie, Profile Painter”. Gillespie used standard low quality papier-mache frames for his work.

Gillespie favoured a dark grey wash when painting plain silhouettes, but then used fine brushwork skills to add detail. For this he used a dark pigment mixed with gum Arabic. He is also recorded as using base colours of black or brown, using gold to highlight, although examples of this type of work are rare. He was particularly skilled at depicting hair and was one of the few artists of the time who indicated the eyebrow with fine swirling brushstrokes. Gillespie is also very distinctive in his use of fanning strokes to indicate the separation of the arm against the body, particularly evident in his portraits of men. This is more evident of a work being a “Gillespie” than his bust line terminations which were varied.

Gallery Silhouettes