Buncombe, John

Introduction:

Profiles by JOHN BUNCOMBE (ca.1758-1837) have been prized from the early C.20th to the present day. His well detailed, highly distinctive coloured renditions of armed forces personnel dating from the period of the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic wars, are often the sole record of the vagaries of individual regimental dress at that time. And, in auction, his works continue to generate keen competition from militaria and silhouette collectors alike.

 Whether by chance or design, by 1795 John Buncombe arrived at, and would spend the rest of his life in, Newport on the Isle of Wight. It was a canny move, and with no professional competition he would craft a large number of profiles over the next 30 years. Certainly Newport was no backwater. In the 'Diary of Mrs. Philip Lybbe Powys' a 1792 entry described Newport's streets 'well paved and remarkably neat...[with 2 weekly markets, a theatre and shops where]...every fashionable thing could be bought...' including, 3 years later, Buncombe's profiles.

While recent research discovered named civilian sitters often had an Isle of Wight heritage, it was the advent of the French wars and the island's strategic command of the waters before the vital port and anchorage of Portsmouth that would provide Buncombe with a consistent, lucrative source of income. By the mid 1790s the island was awash with locally raised Volunteers, mainland Militias and Regular army Regiments. And regimental officers, either returning from or waiting for a posting abroad, proved the keenest patrons of Buncombe's studio, as the hazards of distant conflict, or more likely, death from disease, made profile portraits potent keepsakes for family, wives and sweethearts.

Bust-size, half, three-quarter and full-length works are recorded. Extremely rare plain black profiles are known and one, partially inscribed, was sold at Philips (London) 16th July 1982. In all other instances Buncombe would paint sitters' attire in shades of grey and black or with varying applications of colour.

Generally his hand exhibited skill and fidelity. However, some full-length profiles of young children, though often endearingly portrayed, can, on occasion, be somewhat naively executed. Similarly, there are 2 notably different styles of brushwork on his military commissions. The first type, painted on smooth card and relatively rare, exhibit a precise, albeit restrained technique, while the second, painted on coarser wove paper, and by a considerable margin more commonplace, are painted with conspicuous panache. Some commentators have suggested this divergent approach was due to pressures of demand. More likely Buncombe was responding to the more absorbent  quality of the wove paper he began using.

Early profiles are often inscribed and usually dated on their backing board ' By Buncombe, Newport, Isle of Wight' or ' Taken by Buncombe, Isle of Wight'. Only 2 printed trade labels are recorded, neither offer terms. The 1st, briefly worded, reads 'Striking Likenesses in Profile by I. BUNCOMBE, Ladies and Gentlemen waited on by sending their address to - '. The 2nd, the sole extant complete copy, reads in part ' J. BUNCOMBE, PROFILE PAINTER, PYLE STREET, NEWPORT, ISLE OF WIGHT...[offered his]...sincere thanks for the many favours conferred on him for past years...[describing his profiles, he states]...any part of the dress is as strikingly faithful as the outline is correct, and requires but one minute's sittiing. Any number of copies can be done...and sent to any part of the Kingdom. Shades of absent or deceased friends accurately copied or reduced to any size and dressed in the present taste' .

 

 

To be continued

Gallery Silhouettes