JOHN SMART (1741-1811)
Portrait miniature of a Gentleman with pink powdered hair wearing a green coat, cream waistcoat and white ruff
1776
Watercolour on ivory (licence 9KNWHXCV)
Oval, 46 mm (1 ³/₄ in) high
Signed with initials ‘J.S.’ and dated 1776
Gold frame
£7,500
While coloured powdered hair was not exclusively worn by Smart’s sitters in India, the fashion seems to have been especially pronounced there.[1] One of many examples, a portrait miniature of Ann Chase (née Rand; 1759-1837) shows her wearing pink powder in her hair, and this work was painted by Smart in 1788 in Madras (now called Chennai).[2] This is made clear by Smart’s inclusion of an ‘I’ underneath his initials and the date. As with others from India, her portrait shows her with pink cheeks and a slightly shiny nose to indicate the sun and heat encountered there. An officer of the East India Army sports a tan and some very light pink powder in his hair.[3] His skin glistening with sweat, it also seems he is quite affected by the heat.
Although the current miniature was not painted in India, it is possible that the sitter had connections or even spent time there himself. Smart had established ties to India as early as 1776 when he painted a portrait miniature of Miss Mary Lewin to be sent to her brother there. Mary’s future husband attended the sitting with her and wrote:
“I went to London/ with Miss Lewin, (set her down at Mr Smart’s, a/ limner in Berner’s Street, Oxford Street, who/ is taking her Picture in Miniature, to be sent/ to her Bro. Thomas at Ft. St. George in the East India)”.[4]
When Smart arrived in Madras on 6 September 1785, he actually set up shop in Fort St George.
The frame in which the present miniature is set looks particularly similar to the “Colonial” frames used by Smart when he was in Madras. Thin bands of engraving surround the miniature on the front, while the reverse often carries further engraved outlines around a central oval which contains hairwork or opalescent glass with gold initials. Smart relied on jewellers in Fort St George, Black Town, and Maharatta Town to provide such frames for miniatures painted in India.[5] One example of these frames accompanies the aforementioned portrait of Ann Chase. There are also several others in the catalogue for the exhibition John Smart: A Genius Magnified hosted by Philip Mould & Company.[6]
Again, whilst the current miniature may not have been painted in India, it is possible that the sitter or owner, who likely had connections of their own to India, later took it or sent it to Madras, where it was framed or reframed in this style.
[1] Aimee Marcereau DeGalan, “Pretty in Pink: John Smart’s Penchant (or not) for Pink Hair,” essay in Aimee Marcereau DeGalan, Blythe Sobol, and Maggie Keenan, The Starr Collection of Portrait Miniatures, 1500–1850: The Collections of the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art, vol. 4, ed. Aimee Marcereau DeGalan (Kansas City, MO: Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art, 2025), https://doi.org/10.37764/8322.6.94.
[2] John Smart (1741-1811), Ann Chase (née Rand) (1759-1837), wearing pale pink dress, frilled lace collar and pale pink ribbons, her hair powdered, 1788. For sale with Philip Mould & Company. https://philipmould.com/artworks/categories/20/5637-john-smart-ann-chase-nee-rand-1759-1837-wearing-pale-pink-1788/
[3] John Smart (1741-1811), Portrait miniature of an Officer, probably Alexander Dyce (1758-1835), in the East India Army uniform, 1790. Sold by The Limner Company. https://www.portraitminiature.com/artwork-details/875813/0/john-smart-1742-1811-portrait-miniature.
[4] An extract from the diary of her future husband Ralph Jackson, quoted in Important Gold Boxes, Objects of Vertu and Portrait Miniatures, Christies, 25 May 2004.
[5] Emma Rutherford and Lawrence Hendra, John Smart, A Genius Magnified, Philip Mould and Company, 2014, 64.
[6] Ibid, cats 24, 27, and 28.
shipping notice
Worldwide shipping is included in all prices.
The Limner Company does not accept any responsibility for import duty, this is to be paid by the buyer.
Some stock items contain materials from endangered species which are governed by CITES regulations and will require a permit to export outside of Great Britain. If a certificate of export is required then this will be the responsibility of and paid for by the buyer .
shipping notice
The item added to cart contains materials from endangered or protected species. The Limner Company cannot arrange for the delivery of artworks containing ivory,
tortoiseshell, or mother of pearl outside of the UK due to import restrictions. The buyer or designated agent may collect the property in the country of sale.
You are advised that several countries prohibit the importation of any items made from or containing certain endangered or protected species (such as ivory, tortoiseshell, or mother of pearl), while other countries will require a permit (e.g. a CITES licence). Such permits must be obtained from the relevant regulatory body in both the country of importation and exportation. If you intend to import such items into another country you should familiarise yourself with the relevant customs regulations and laws before purchase. Delays or refusal of import or export of such works shall not permit cancellation of a sale. It is your responsibility to satisfy any laws or regulations applying to the import or export of any work containing such protected species. For further information on the protected species listed please visit the CITES website:http://www.cites.org/. For further information about import and export regulations please visit:http://www.defra.gov.uk/ahvla-en/imports-exports/cites/. On request, the Company can assist with or apply for a license on your behalf.
Please contact us to discuss shipping options..
checkout details
Your basket exceeds the allowed online transaction limit of £10,000. Please remove an item from your basket to continue to checkout. Successive online sales totalling £10,000 are also prohibited. Please get in touch if you would like to move forward with the purchase in accordance with anti-money laundering regulation.
Under the terms of the anti-money laundering regulation we are required to conduct customer due diligence (CDD) on all sales of works of art over £10,000 before the transaction is carried out. While therefore we may agree to such a sale in principle, we will not be able to conclude (i.e. receive funds, give up possession or transfer title) it until we have received all the necessary CDD information from you and have been able to verify it as required by the regulation.
shipping TERMS AND CONDITIONS
Worldwide shipping is included in all prices.
The Limner Company does not accept any responsibility for import duty, this is to be paid by the buyer.
See Section 7.5 in Terms & Conditions for information on export/import regulations.
Please contact us to discuss shipping options.
Some stock items contain materials from endangered species which are governed by CITES regulations and will
require a permit to export outside of Great Britain. If a certificate of export is required then this will be
the responsibility of and paid for by the buyer.
See Section 7.5 in Terms & Conditions for information on export/import regulations.
Please contact us to discuss shipping options.
you may also like