Buncombe, John (SCC Newsletter January 2012)

A Complete Buncombe Label at Last!

Also a somewhat different trade label to consider.

Some members may recall an article in the July 1999 Newsletter entitled "Tale of Lost Labels". One of the labels it referred to was the Buncombe label illustrated above — which backed the bust-length silhouette of a small boy in a blue jacket. (also illustrated above) This was bought by a Silhouette Collectors Club in a Sale at Phillips, Blenheim Street on 16th July 1986 (Lot 199). After the collector death the silhouette of the boy was up for sale again at Phillips on 10th. November, 1998 (Lot 60A), but unfortunately the label had become detached and never reached the Saleroom. A lesson not to take works apart unless you intend to complete the 'operation' in one go! Fortunately the boy was inscribed on his reverse "by Buncombe, Newport Isle of Wight 1799". Quite unexpectedly this silhouette was up for sale at Bonhams in Knightbridge on 23rd November this year (Lot 83) - sadly it did not sell (est. 400-600). Bidding reached £320 — there is no doubt with the label it would have been a very desirable purchase and would not have failed to reach a price within its estimate.

However, as luck will have it there is a complete version of the label behind a silhouette in the Collection of the Chateau Ramezay Museum in Montreal. This is illustrated below together with the soldier it backs - namely Ensign Antoine Duperon Baby of the 5th. Northumberland Regiment of Foot. More details of the 'sitter's' career are available, but it is known that he served in the Regiment from 1800 to 1803. This fits in with the date 1799 behind the boy in blue — indicating that Buncombe was using this label at least during the period 1799-1803 and possibly later. We now have the full wording of the label for the record.

Buncombe Page 15

The Other Label.

The label illustrated above on the left is printed. Clearly it is a copy of the "roughly stencilled trade label" recorded by Mrs. McK in the Book on page 742.. She states that the label is recorded as being on Buncombe's paint box. She goes on to add that there are three stencil versions of the label on the paint box, but she had not seen it on an actual silhouette. She did not illustrate it in the Book, but it was illustrated by Mrs. Jackson in her "Dictionary" (plate 83) I have reproduced this illustration on the right above for the purposes of comparison. Note the gap between the e and the n at the end of the word ‘gentleman’ - also the correction of the capital 'A' on the paint box version. Mrs. Jackson had not seen the actual paint box but had obtained her illustration from a Mrs. Small, grand-daughter of Mr. George Smith, with whom Buncombe lodged in the High Street in Newport. I understand that the paint box is now in the Collection at Carisbrooke Castle in the Isle of Wight.

Illustrated below is the silhouette that is backed by this label. It is of a naval officer, but it does not immediately strike me as a work by Buncombe. However, it is well painted, but on a smaller scale than the one usually associated with Buncombe. Also, the usual attribution characteristics of Buncombe's work are not obvious except for the slight blob on the end of the officer's eyelash. Whether this work is by Buncombe is a question, but the other question it poses is — would Buncombe have used two such different labels for his work? We know that most of Buncombe's attributed works are not labelled and were obviously sold to the sitters unframed. When he decided to have a label printed we do not know or whether he used this for all his works after the printing — unlikely I think. I suppose it could be argued that a printed version of the stencil label could have come first — Buncombe then found it unsatisfactory and went for the more ‘conventional’ type label. It would be interesting to have your comments on these two labels and on the silhouette below.