Sherwill, Lucy Maria, Mrs

Introduction:

Mrs Lucy Maria V. Sherwill spent her youth at Windsor as the daughter of Dr James Lind, physician to the Royal Household. While living there she produced a number of cut silhouette profiles depicting, amongst others, members of the royal family.

Lucy Maria Sherwill was the daughter of Dr James Lind, a celebrated scientist and accomplished profilist. She spent part of her childhood in Windsor after her father’s appointment as physician to the Royal Household in 1777. It is very likely that the majority of her cut work was produced in this period; its subjects include George III, Queen Charlotte and Princess Amelia, the latter of which must have been cut before the Princess’ death from tuberculosis in 1810. It is very unlikely that Mrs Sherwill ever cut silhouettes professionally, so would not have had a trade label. No signature is yet known.

Her cut work appears to be relatively accomplished. Her name appears in one of the letters in the series written by Tiberius Cavallo to her father, with whom he collaborated in the production of sil­houettes. Written in London and dated 21 December 1800, it asks “I wish Lucy would cut for me four or five little pieces of paper with figures somewhat like those you stamped [printed], and that she would shade one or two, and leave the rest white”. It can therefore be assumed that Mrs Sherwill cut in white paper which was later blackened – and that her work was of sufficient skill for Cavallo to request examples. The profiles of the royal family are of the normal size, and cut in a fashion typical of the period.