Nineteenth Century Portrait Brooch – with lock of hair

Antiques : Art : Miniature Portrait

 

Here is a lovely Victorian brooch, featuring a well painted gentleman. We think this may possibly be a mourning brooch because of the lock of hair tucked away in the back, but we don’t know that for sure. We can say that this gentleman either had quite a dour personality, or was not terribly happy on the day this painting was painted.

Although a morbid idea for us, mourning brooches were very popular during this time period – in particular after Queen Victoria’s consort Prince Albert died. Her excessive mourning for him created a variety of “mourning fashions.” It is of course possible that this is simply a sweetheart brooch treasured by a loving wife.

The portrait is set in a gold colored metal. The metal is unmarked, and does tend to tarnish so we know it’s not gold. Otherwise, we are unsure of the type of metal. The design is simple yet quite elegant, with a graceful leaf pattern on the sides and top and bottom. The portrait is covered in glass, as is the back. The back features a lock of hair tied with a fine gold ribbon, resting on a brown cloth. The C clasp and tube hinge both date this to the 1800s. The ring on top is most likely designed for a safety chain, rather than to allow this to hang as a pendant. The C clasp is very loose – a safety chain would be desirable to lessen the chances of loss.

Condition is good, but there is some fading of the painting – in particular of the man’s clothing. His face is well painted and there is little fading there. A dark smudge at about 7 o’clock may have been a signature – or may just be something that got under the glass. There is no damage to either the painting or the setting.

This is a fine example of 19th century portraiture. Think of the history – of the woman who wore this with love and held a lock of her husband’s (or lover’s?) hair close to her heart, possibly even after his death.

Item ID: 0550

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