English School, c.1805

English School, c.1805
Portrait of a General officer in uniform
miniature on ivory
7.1 x 5.7cm, oval, in a gold frame with blue enamel, plaited hair and vacant collets verso, tested as approximately 9ct gold

This is a portrait of a General officer of the period c.1805. His exact rank is determined by the arrangement of the buttons on his tunic and the chain pattern lace on the facings. The sitter’s buttons and lace are grouped in threes, as worn by a Lieutenant General. The curious black line across his brow looks to be an eye patch, albeit that the patch itself appears to be over the sitter's right ear. This unusual arrangement may have been for reasons of both vanity and accuracy.

We are grateful to Christopher Joll for his assistance with this catalogue entry.