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Featured today is a rare find: a superbly well-preserved miniature portrait by David Gibson of Edinburgh and London. The portrait is clearly dated 1800 and, in typical David Gibson fashion, it is simply signed “Gibson”.
David Gibson was a skilled artist of the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries with a solid reputation as both a quality miniature portrait painter and an engraver. As desirable as his work might have been, however, Gibson was not a prolific artist; and very few of his portraits have survived to surface publicly in recent years (making any Gibson piece you might encounter a very rare find, indeed). In fact, over the last fifteen years, only twelve are known to have been offered for sale. (*1) Today’s featured portrait happens to be one of those twelve; and I was fortunate enough to be able to acquire it for this collection at a very reasonable price.
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Portrait of an Unknown Georgian Era Gentleman
Artist: David Gibson
Date/age: clearly dated 1800 (214 years ago, as of this writing)
Size: 3 1/4 inches tall by 2 1/2 inches wide (unframed); 4 inches tall by 3 1/4 inches wide (framed)
Medium: watercolor and gouache on thin ivory wafer
About the Artist
One explanation for the scarcity of portraits by David Gibson is that he was only active in the high profile London art scene for a few short years: 1788-97. (*2). His busiest years were in the period of 1790-1795, during which time he regularly exhibited his work at the Royal Academy of Arts. Thereafter, in both 1796 and 1797, he was known to have spent part of the year working in Manchester, England, and the remainder of the year working in London. At some point after 1797, he returned to his hometown of Edinburgh, Scotland (likely for family reasons), where he lived and worked for the remainder of his days. (He is listed in Edinburgh city directories through the year 1841, where he is listed as a “portrait painter”, first at 43 Princes Street, then at 51 Broughton Street, and lastly at 14 Levin Street.)
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A photo of how our miniature portrait appears when removed from its frame (allowing closer examination of the artist’s brush strokes and soft technique).
Evaluating the Art
David Gibson was admired for his soft and pleasing tones and a technique that borders on impressionistic. That is to say, although the depictions of his subjects are realistic and natural looking, Gibson leaves the viewer knowing that they are looking at a painting (as opposed to painters who preferred sharp, crisp, life-like images that today might be confused with photographs). Examining his work up close, one can see his ample use of hatching (the use of many closely spaced parallel lines) and crosshatching (layers of hatching at different angles), which he uses to create soft tonal effects and shading. Also contributing to his pillow-soft look is his preference for what appears to be lower viscosity (more watered down) paint. Thus, unlike the work of artists who added gum or other thickening agents to their watercolor paints (making them sometimes appear more like oil paints), Gibson’s work has the look and feel that one would expect with watercolor.
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A closeup view in which one can see the hatching and crosshatching technique that Gibson used to create a soft, pleasing effect.
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A closeup view of the lower left portion of our miniature portrait, in which Gibson’s signature is visible. The detail with which Gibson applied his signature is remarkable when one considers that his letters are barely 1/32 of an inch tall and the entire signature is no more than 3/16 of an inch in length. (Remember, this is a collection of miniature portraits.)
Framing
Our featured portrait is framed in a heavy slip mount frame of gilt brass and copper. Making the frame more substantial is the use of a heavy, gilt metal mat, which creates a sense of depth by adding more space between the painted portrait and its protective glass lens. Presumably, this was to impart the piece with with more gravitas, leaving one to suspect that the painted subject must have been a prominent individual. No doubt, this metal and glass slip mounting was originally set within a larger frame, most likely made of wood.
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A side angle view of the framed portrait showing the increased depth and refined look created by the use of a a heavy, gilt metal mat.
Historical Context
At the time our featured portrait was painted, in 1800, King George III was in his 40th year of reign as King of Great Britain. In the summer of that year, the parliaments of both Great Britain and Ireland passed acts to unite their respective countries, creating the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland. (Yes, that is why “Great Britain” is today referred to as the United Kingdom.) Later in the year, German-born British astronomer Frederick William Herschel first discovered infrared radiation. And perhaps most noteworthy, in 1800, inflation in Great Britain reached an all-time recorded high of 36.5%. Outside Great Britain, John Adams was in his fourth year of his first and only term as President of the United States.
A Discussion about Value
Our featured portrait was purchased through an online eBay auction at a cost of $678. This price was a real bargain considering the above-average quality of the portrait. It was also a great bargain when considering that $676 was 60% less than the average price of $1,508 for which all known Gibson portraits have changed hands over the past fifteen years. Also noteworthy, one of the eleven other known Gibson portraits is currently listed for sale by a fine arts gallery in Shropshire, England for £2,750 ($4,620 at current exchange rates).
These points underscore the fact that quality, antique fine art can still be purchased at a fair and reasonable price if one keeps their eyes open for opportunities. Conversely, it also also underscores the reality that art can carry a hefty premium when sold through some galleries. (Personally, I think my Gibson portrait is of much better quality than the one currently offered for sale in England, making me wonder how much mine might fetch if offered in a retail gallery — not that I have any intention of selling it, as it has become a cornerstone piece of my collection.)
Footnotes
(*1) As documented in several internet-based databases of known auction house sales.
(*2) As noted by historian Daphne Foskett who states that Gibson’s period of flourish as an artist was 1788-97. [Fosket, Daphne (1987, reprinted 1994). “Miniatures Dictionary and Guide”, published by the Antique Collectors’ Club, Woodbridge, Suffolk, United Kingdom, page 547 (of the 1994 reprinted version).]
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Copyright © 2014 Michael Tormey. All rights reserved. All images contained herein are the property of Michael Tormey unless specifically noted otherwise.
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