Miers, John (SCC Newsletter January 2009)

A Full – length Gent painted on paper by John Miers.

Can this definitely be attributed to the Great Master?

Once again whilst looking through Mrs. McK's archive I found something of interest in a scrapbook. It is a Sotheby's catalogue for 11th February 1932. This sale included "A Collection of Silhouettes - the property of R. M. Mudie Esq.” The Collection consisted of 23 lots (42 silhouettes in all). All were by named artists - these included Miers, Field, Buncombe, Beetham and others. A real feast for collectors! Apart from silhouettes, Mr Mudie was selling a wonderful Worcester vase & cover with a silhouette of George III – this was bought by Queen Mary. It is illustrated above - it made £26 on the hammer! However, the purpose of this article is to draw your attention to Lot 124 in this Sale. The following is the full entry for the Lot: "A full length portrait by Miers of a man in profile to right leaning against a sundial in sepia tone, within a large gilt and black convex oval and oblong frame-fine state. From the Street Collection and perhaps a member of the family." Fortunately it was illustrated in the catalogue, otherwise I would have had no idea what it looked like from the entry description. It was sold to a Mr. Way for £11!

The image took me back about forty years to my early days of collecting, when I had paid a visit to Mr. Ekstein's shop in Jermyn Street, London (which no longer exists) At the time he showed me a similar work (it may be the same as the one in the catalogue) It was backed with a Mier's label. I cannot remember the frame but think it was a large papier mache rectangular one. I was taken with the silhouette, but unfortunately could not afford it at the time. I think Mr. Ekstein was asking £250 for it. I have always regretted that I did not purchase it at the time -although the interest in my early days was only in black bust-length silhouettes! Therefore you can imagine my surprise when I went to the Olympia Antique Fair in November this year to espy its twin on Cynthia Walmsley's Stand.

Above on the left I have illustrated the picture from the Mudie catalogue and on the right for the purposes of comparison the silhouette seen at Olympia. You will notice that later has been slightly reduced -losing 'something' at both ends. Also it is now in an oval gilded frame and not in the one described in the catalogue entry. It is likely that it was cut down to fit this frame and perhaps when this took place the label was 'lost' as there is no sign of a label now. A label is not mentioned in the catalogue, but I noticed that many other attributed silhouettes in the sale made no mention of a label. Therefore I have assumed that at the time the mention of a label was not always considered to be necessary.

The scrapbook in which I found the catalogue had belonged to John Woodiwiss and would have come into Mrs.McK's possession after his death and before the publication of her Book. Therefore I can only assume that as she had not seen the actual silhouette she decided not to have an entry on John Miers in Section Two (artists who painted on paper and card). There is an entry for William in Section Two – this is to cover copies of earlier bust-length silhouettes copied from duplicates. William did not paint these himself, but employed other artists to do so. John Field painted on paper and card and there is a full-length example by him in the Book.

The silhouette is beautifully and skilfully painted and would appear form the 'sitter's' costume to have been painted about 1785. In spite of the lack of a label or signature to accept that it is work by Miers! It is possible that it is a one-off or it may be that there are at least three similar works – but I think the former is more likely. My other thought is that a silhouette of this type would take some time to paint and would not be very commercial. Possible it was a special commission by the Street Family – of which I know nothing.

I should be glad to hear from any Members, who have come across a similar work or if you know anything about Mr Mudie's Collection or the Street Family. Clearly some more research needs to be done!