Watercolors, Needlework, & Silhouettes

This hand crafted cork work shows a romantic scene of an ancient castle in a charming diorama. The castle is perched atop a promontory overlooking a river, complete with forested terrain and a tiny swan. The artist’s intricate cutting and piercing of the cork showcase their exceptional craftsmanship.
The cream-colored mat beautifully complements the soft colors of the cork.
The cork work is mid-19th century, and the frame and mat are 20th century.
This cork work is a testament to the enduring appeal of English castles, dating back to the Norman invasion of 1066.

Dimensions: 23″ wide x 19″ height x 2″ deep

Condition: The work is in excellent condition. The back with tape (see image).

This hand-crafted cork work shows a romantic scene of Carisbrooke Castle on the Isle of Wight
in a charming diorama.
The castle is perched atop a mountain complete with a long protective wall and an open gate.
The artist’s intricate cutting and piercing of the cork showcase their exceptional craftsmanship.
The maple frame with the inner border of parcel gilt is original to the 19th century.
This cork work is a testament to the enduring appeal of stone castles, dating back to the 11th century.

Dimensions: The frame measures 21.75″ wide x 17.75″ height x 2″ deep

Condition: Very Good with slight wear consistent with age and use

Made circa 1840, this English watercolor painting on paper shows a charming young girl in a plaid dress.
Her hair is cut short with curls all around. Her dress is colored blue and grey with fine red lines.
The style of her dress and hair are typical of the period.
She stands on a patterned floor typical of English interiors in the mid-19th century.
She holds a bouquet of roses.
Watercolor portraits like this were popular in England in the first half of the 19th century. By 1850 they were replaced in large part by photographic portraits.
The maple veneer frame is original. The frame and the painting are in excellent condition.

Dimensions: 13″ x 11″ in the frame

Condition: The excellent condition of both the painting and its original frame is rare.

The hand-written notes on the back of this miniature watercolor tell what was at the time a scandalous story.
The portrait is of Hanah Tichbon. The inscription reads in part, “went to the races…, “ran away from Sheffets…” and later ran away in London.” Portraits in the Victorian period were done to present public identities. On the back of this portrait, we have a hand-written inscription that provides insight into the private life of the sitter. It is an intriguing and seemingly sad story of a young woman’s life which is literally hidden behind her portrait.
At this time in England, if a married woman was unhappy with her situation, there was, almost without exception, nothing she could do about it. Except in extremely rare cases, a woman could not obtain a divorce and, until 1891, if she ran away from an intolerable marriage, the police could capture and return her. All this was sanctioned by church, law, custom, history, and approved of by Victorian society in general. The story this portrait and inscription tell is a genuine piece of history.
In the portrait, Hanah wears white with a gold chain and cross around her neck. She holds a book, quite probably a Bible. The image infers that our sitter is a proper young lady.
In reality, her life story was not anything like it appeared. This pencil and watercolor portrait was done on card. Written on the back of the painted card is: “Hanah Tichbon Alias Hanah Honsett born Sept 22nd 1809 Married Thomas Matcham on the 6 of Oct’br 1829 left him at Bath in Aug’st 1831 for six week… On Aug’st 2nd 1835 went to Brighton races and stayt 6 weeks. Oct’br 22nd 1837 ran away from Sheffets 8 month away July 22 1841 ran away in London and was found” Signed “Painted by Mr. King” and dated “1829”.