PETER PAILLOU (1756 - 1834)

Peter Paillou Senior (c.1712-1782) was an exceptional watercolour artist, specialising in painting birds. His family were Huguenots and escaped from France to avoid persecution and settled in London. Paillou Senior married firstly, Alice, and after her death, Mary Braem. The family house in Paradise Row, Islington where they lived between 1776-1780 is now marked with a plaque by the Huguenot Society. 

Paillou Senior and Mary christened their son Pierre Antoine Paillou and growing up, he became known as Peter Paillou Junior, and he became a portrait and miniature painter. 

Paillou Senior died in 1782, as reported in the Whitehall Evening Post, whilst resident at 9 White Lion Row, and it was from this address that his son started exhibiting in 1786, after entering the Royal Academy Schools in 1784 in his late twenties. 

His father never lived to see his success. This information does prove that the earlier miniatures painted by Paillou, very few of which are signed, were by son and not father, despite the change in style apparent in his later work.

Lord Fothringham

(Alexander Balcarries Ogilvy of Pourie (1744-1812)

Painted by Paillou c.1795

Paillou exhibited from the following London addresses and towards the end of the

18th Century began working in Glasgow also.

1786-1787 9 White Lion Row

1788-1793 66 Harley Street

1794-1800 1 Charlotte Street, Portland Place

On 23rd April, 1803, he placed an advertisement in The Glasgow Courier:

'Mr. Paillou of London, has been advised by his friends, 

to adopt this mode of acquainting the Ladies and Gentlemen of Glasgow 

that he is desirous of practising his profession 

in this city for a short time, and that his prices are for a Miniature, Eight

Guineas, and for a Three Quarters in Oils, Ten Guineas.

It may not be improper to add, that Mr. P. 

has had nearly twenty years practice in London.

Specimens may be seen at Miss Gray's, 

No. 27, Moodie's Wynd, Argyll-Street.'

Mr, Reddie

Painted by Paillou

signed and dated 1815

He worked from the following addresses in Glasgow:

2 Queen Street, Glasgow

From 1827: 179 Argyll Street, Glasgow

Miss Leigh Richmond

Painted by Paillou

signed and dated 1821

Paillou wrote a Will (PROB 11/1852/107) in 1815 whilst in London, and later a Codicil in the form of a letter, which gives new insights into his personal and professional life. From this, we learn that he ran two households in London and Glasgow and split his time between the two.

His Will suggests that he remained unmarried and certainly at this point in his life he has no wife or children, but has a live-in companion called Anne Peters (formerly Anne Cunningham), 

and is attended by a trusted servant called Peggy. He left his money in London to his two sisters,

Sophia and Matilda, and in the event of their demise, to their daughters, Maria and Caroline respectively. Paillou's pictures, prints and books at his London residence

were to be sold and the proceeds equally split between his two sisters 'share and share alike.' 

One particular picture was to go to his friend John Holmden, and his gold watch, chain and seals, 

to James Thompson, both of whom Paillou appointed as his Executors. To his companion, Anne Peters, he left his chime clock, 'made by Mr. Holmden' and all household furniture, plate etc. in Glasgow. He finishes his Will by writing that he is in a hurry on his departure from London.

19th Century Glasgow

In September 1817, Paillou wrote a Codicil to this Will in the form of a letter to his friend John Holmden, whilst in Glasgow, fearing that he might perish on the journey by sea to England. 'I write this in preparation of accompanying Anne (Peters) to Port Glasgow tomorrow morning and leave this with Peggy (his servant) to put in the post here...' His friend is requested to collect all his possessions at his Glasgow property, in the event that Paillou does not survive the journey, 'except bodyclothes and ring

belonging to Anne Peters... to go to her sisters Elizabeth McFarland of Port Glasgow and Margaret Smith of Paisley' and excepting clothes belonging to Peggy, the servant. Paillou instructs that all the effects at the Glasgow property are to be sold and divided equally between his sisters, Sophia and Matilda. £9 is to be put aside for mourners at his funeral and he goes on to list his debts at that

time.

His debts at that time are detailed, including a tailor's bill of £12, Mrs. Peters 'about £5', Turnbull Booksellers 'about £5', Wright's bill 20 or 50 shillings, W. Brown, Painter, £2. Instructions are given for the backgrounds of his unfinished pictures to be completed by Mr. John Knox or another portrait painter and charged to clients at the usual rate of 10 guineas for 3/4 size, 14 guineas for ___ , 20 guineas for half length, 8 guineas for miniatures and delivered to clients after completion.

The reversion of his property in Castle Street, Glasgow (nos. 10 and 15) is to go to widow Elizabeth McFarlane (Anne Peters' sister) 'who has three children and nothing but the produce of her own labour to bring them up with'.

Paillou adds that this letter to his friend, John Holmden, is in addition to the Will he left with him previously in London and ends the note 'This being written in a hurry is all I can think of at present' which suggests that he again has concerns about embarking on a long journey.

In the event, this letter, which served as a Codicil to his Will, was recorded at the Glasgow Court in September 1834 after his death and his Will was proved in the London Court in September 1835.

Unknown Lady

Painted by Paillou c.1825

After 1800 Paillou began to use his 'trademark' sunset backgrounds

William Thicke (c.1752-1830)

 

It is likely that William Thicke was born in London.  He spent all his working life at the same London address; 17 Duke Street. Duke Street was largely inhabited by tradesmen.  His wife was Elizabeth Trueman (c.1757 - 1832).  She shared in an inheritance from a great uncle Jonathan Trueman and put this in trust for her daughters. She died aged 75 at the family home of Duke Street, London.The couple's two daughters, Elizabeth, known as Eliza, (c.1778 - c.1865) and Charlotte, (c.1789 -1856) were both artists like their father. Sometime after 1845 the sisters moved from 17 Duke Street to 64 Arlington Street, where Charlotte, the youngest, died aged 66.

William Thicke exhibited at the Royal Academy between 1787-1814.  His miniatures are not highly thought of, being a little naive, and as many are unsigned, often described as English School or misattributed.

17 Duke Street London

A discovered trade card notes that Thicke worked in Wakefield and Hull, as well as from his London base and this is borne out by an account of a chance meeting with the artist by the architect, William Porden (1755-1822).  William Porden kept a diary of his travels, which is now kept in the archives at Derbyshire County Council.

On Friday 21 August, 1795,  Porden records setting off from London to Lincoln in the stagecoach.  Amongst his travelling companions was 'Mr. Thick, a miniature painter on a professional expedition to Hull...'

'(Mr. Thick) was a little fat jolly facetious man, as illiterate as an artist could be desired and seemingly taking small interest in the Arts or in subjects relative to them. His mis-pronunciation w[oul]d rival Mrs Slipslops.  He abounded in jests and smutty stories which he told tolerably well, though sometimes, as it must happen, with men who are always telling stories, lost the spirit of the story and seemed not always to know where the joke lay.'

Despite the architect's poor opinion, William Thicke proved to be hardworking and astute, leaving his daughters extremely well provided for after his death.  In 1792, in addition to his Duke Street home, Thicke owned nos. 27 and 28 Charles Street, Tottenham Court, which were rented out, according to the Sun Fire Office records, with whom the properties were insured.

27 Charles Street London

In June 1823, Thicke made a Will, and the following year, added a Codicil.  In his Will, he left 20 guineas to Mr. Thomas Hapworth and his properties to Charlotte, his younger daughter, together with all his pictures 'of every description' and his boxes of oils and watercolours, with these passing to Eliza if her sister predeceased her. Eliza was left the family silver.  However, in his Codicil, the artist records that he has recently purchased two further properties at 3 and 4 Sydney Terrace, Chelsea which accounted for '...15 years of my profession without borrowing one guinea..'  One of these is left to Eliza and the other to Charlotte. The artist died in 1830.  Neither daughter married, and in the census of 1851, when Charlotte and Eliza have moved from the family home in Duke Street, they are both listed as annuitants, have a servant, and the younger sister Charlotte is head of the household. 

 This miniature of an unknown man, listed as unsigned, was originally offered for sale by Bonhams Bond Street in February 2008.  It was passed in.  Later that year it was sold by Bonhams Bath office.  We purchased it in 2010 from a dealer, paying little more than he had paid at auction.  The dealer claimed that the sitter was Mr. Nathan Crowe.  However, this seems doubtful as there was no note of the sitter when we opened the miniature, but we did find the artist's signature and address and a date on a backing board, written in faded pencil, reproduced below.  At first we thought that the date was 1759, and on closer inspection we were satisfied that it was 1791.  

W. Thicke (British, fl.1787-1814) A Lady, wearing white dress with small lace collar, coral necklace and white bandeau in her curled hair. gold frame with bright cut border and slip, blue glass reverse. Oval, 60mm (2 3/8in) high Sold by ©Bonhams in 2005

Miss Charlotte Thicke (British, fl.1802-1846)

Two young Ladies, probably sisters, both wearing white dresses; one, seated, with pearls in her hair and a blue sash at her waist, a letter in her hand; the other pointing from a behind a stone column and red curtain, a harpsichord with sheet music in the foreground, landscape background. This miniature sold by ©Bonhams in 2004 could possibly be a self-portrait with her sister Eliza.

NEW BOOK ON MINIATURES

Renown miniature painter and portrait painter Bill Mundy has produced the most beautiful new book 'My Life in Miniature: Tales, Travels and Technique'.

Exquisitely produced, it would make a superb Christmas present for a loved one interested in art - or as a gift to yourself!  It is full of wonderful anecdotes and stories from this extraordinary artist, together with all his trade secrets and fabulous illustrations of his work.  It is a masterpiece!  

A true bargain at £30 plus p&p available from wpmundy@aol.com.

ROYAL MINIATURE SOCIETY

Don't miss this year's Royal Miniature Society Annual Exhibition at The Mall Galleries, St. James's, London SW1!  Open every day until midday Sunday 8th December.  For those looking to buy, there are lots of paintings and sculptures to choose from and a beautiful collection of original Christmas cards.  The admission is free.  

The online exhibition is available to view on www.leeminiaturecollection.com/rms19.html

BILL MUNDY RMS MAA MASF HS

Bill Mundy, one of the world's top miniature artists and also a world renown

 portrait artist has been painting all his life

We first met Bill fifteen years ago at the Hilliard Society annual exhibition in 

Wells, Somerset.Not long after we purchased a miniature from him as seen below

Sitter James Kelso, architectural artist and copywriter

Signed and dated 1983

Bill Mundy was born in Berkshire. He started painting before he was five.

 He trained as a lithographic artist. Now he paints in oils and watercolours, 

full size and miniature, and lectures on miniature painting.

His work has won all the major awards, nationally and internationally 

and he is the only living miniaturist to be twice awarded Exhibit of the Year

 at the Royal Academy Summer Exhibition and to be represented in

 the Victoria and Albert Museum, London.

He has written many books including his autobiography 'A brush with Life'

A copy is available from his website www.billmundy.co.uk

The Leisure Painter advertising multi-award-winning Bill Mundy's article

in the June issue (out May27th 2018)

His second article is in the July issue (out mid June). 

THE CELEBRITY OF STELLA MARKS MVO, RMS, ASMP. (1887-1985)

Stella and her husband, Montagu Marks, New York c.1920

Stella Lewis was born in a suburb of Melbourne, Australia, the third of four children. Her father, James, worked as a Civil Servant.  

She always wanted to be an artist from the age of 11 and trained as an oil painter under British born artist and art gallery director, Bernard Hall and the legendary Australian artist, Fred McCubbin at the National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne. There she met her husband-to-be, fellow artist Montagu ‘Monty’ Marks (1890-1972).  Monty had left school at 11 and worked as a scenic artist before commencing formal training.

With her pretty looks and Monty’s handsome, dashing manner, they made a striking couple. They travelled to England in 1911 to further their art studies and experience life in London and Paris, and were married in London. Stella painted her first miniature in 1912, having been goaded to do so by Monty and his best friend, fellow artist Penleigh Boyd. She soon earned commissions and began to make a name for herself, both in full-scale work and with miniatures. She signed her work Stella Lewis Marks or Stella. L. Marks.  

©Stella Marks' Estate 2017

This is Stella’s pencil sketch for her first miniature. Unfortunately the whereabouts of the actual miniature, or whether it still exists is unknown.

By the start of the First World War in 1914, the couple were living in America and Monty served as a Fighter Pilot in the Royal Flying Corp. 

In 1916 Stella became an Associate Member of the Royal Miniature Society, London, at the time the youngest member to join the Society and only the second Australian artist to do so.  By then she was painting miniatures of many of the most well known names in American Society and being exhibited at the American Society of Miniature Painters, the National Association of Portrait Painters and the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts. The Duke of Connaught, Governor General of Canada, commissioned Stella to paint a miniature of his daughter, Princess Patricia.

©Stella Marks' Estate 2017

Here is a sketch she made in 1916 prior to painting the miniature of H.R.H. Princess Patricia. Reproductions of the miniature were sold for the Canadian Red Cross in WW1. By some accounts 30,000 copies were sold to raise money for Canadian soldiers by the year’s end. [source: 10^th December 1916 Detroit Free Press]

Below are four examples of Stella's work in America.

©Stella Marks' Estate 2017

Mrs. Margaret Batten aged 84 painted in 1916.

©Stella Marks' Estate 2017

Knox Studebaker Ulrich painted in 1917

Exhibited at the Royal Academy 1931

He was a member of the famous American automobile family.

©Stella Marks' Estate 2017

Mrs Warbuton painted in 1921

She was later to marry William Kissam Vanderbilt II, whose mother, Mrs. Cornelius Vanderbilt II, once remarked to Stella, 'Your miniatures are more like Cosway's than any other I have seen'.

©Stella Marks' Estate 2017

This miniature painted in 1924, is of Stella's own daughter, Patricia, aged three.

It was exhibited at the Royal Academy in 1936.

In 1934, the couple moved to England and Stella continued to exhibit at the Royal Academy until 1940. Monty was working as General Manager of London Film Productions and became well known in the glamorous world of films and celebrities and his painting was just for pleasure. The couple became celebrities themselves and Stella was the subject of many articles and interviews internationally. In many of these articles she was a strong advocate for  portrait miniatures to be treated as an art form on a par with larger works in oil.

“A good miniature must have all the drawing composition and knowledge that goes to make up a large portrait. It is in fact a portrait in watercolour.....The beauty is in the transparency of colour.” 

The Dominion, February 11th 1938

“Miniature painting seems to be coming back into its own again and I am very glad of that, for it is a beautiful art form…… It requires a knowledge of handling details and an ability to wield the brush in strong, sure, swift strokes. One most know exactly the shape of the impression it is going to leave and the precise tone and colouring to be obtained”

'The Return of the Miniature', The Christian Science Monitor, Boston, March 3rd 1917

In an interview with an Australian newspaper in 1937, she, perhaps controversially, compared the difference between the American and British market for miniatures at that time. She observed that Americans “realized the true value of a miniature. They will pay anything from 500 to 1,000 dollars for a work [today’s value US$8,500 to US$17,000], whereas the English will pay fabulous prices for oil portraits, but do not seem to realize that there is the same amount of craftsmanship and knowledge put into the painting of a miniature”.

Working in the traditional way, making her own initial sketches during sittings, she also spoke out about the way that some modern miniature painters were using imprints of photographs to work from.  Sometimes these ‘photominiatures’ were accepted for exhibition by unsuspecting ‘Hanging Committees’, not realizing that what were really tinted photographs masquerading as miniatures!  


It is still an issue today. 

©Arturi Phillips Collection 2017

This miniature of Sir Connop Guthrie was painted in 1938 and is a fine example of Stella's work. Sir Connop and Monty were friends and business partners. In 1934 Sir Connop persuaded the Prudential to bankroll London Films, where Monty was General Manager.

©Stella Marks' Estate 2017

 Preparatory sketch for the miniature.

Here are three more miniatures painted after Stella's move to Britain.

©Stella Marks' Estate 2017

Lady Swan, painted in 1939. It received an Honorable Mention at The Paris Salon in 1957.

©Stella Marks' Estate 2017

This miniature of Vera Bleck, sister-in-law of Douglas Fairbanks Snr., was exhibited at the Royal Miniature Society in 1977. It was probably painted in 1938 at a time when Monty was in partnership with Fairbanks, until Fairbanks’ untimely death in 1939.

©Stella Marks' Estate 2017

This 'miniature within a miniature' of Sir Winston Churchill was completed in 1966. The head is no bigger than the head of a drawing pin.

In 1948, on the recommendation of Sir James Mann, Director of the Wallace Collection, Stella was given a commission by the Duke of Edinburgh to paint a miniature of the then HRH Princess Elizabeth. Following this she painted miniatures of all the Royal Family, to much acclaim.

As a career artist with an exceptional reputation, Stella Lewis Marks was awarded an MVO   ( Member of the Royal Victorian Order) in 1978 for her personal service to the Monarch. Sadly, her career was already coming to a close because of her declining eyesight and by 1980 she was blind.

Further information on Stella and Monty can be seen on  www.montyandstellamarks.com and https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stella_Marks

For further information about miniature artists working during the first half of the 20th Century, 'Dictionary of Miniature Painters 1870-1970' pub. 2012

If you have an example of Stella's work we should love to hear from you.

HILLIARD SOCIETY ANNUAL EXHIBITION IN WELLS SOMERSET

Town hall Wells Somerset

Once again, the Hilliard Society held its Annual Miniature Painting Exhibition in the Town Hall in the ancient cathedral City of Wells, Somerset.  About 300 exhibits were admired by visitors from all over the country.  The 2017 exhibition closed on 10th June, but can be seen online from http://www.hilliardsociety.org/2017exhibition.html

Purchases can be packed and shipped worldwide.

Miniature painter Jenny Brooks, HS, RMS started a new project called 'Mini Masters' to encourage young people to take up miniature painting and a selection of the young artists' work was showcased alongside the main exhibition for the first time this year.  If you have or know children who might be interested in learning about this ancient skill, enquiries can be made through the Hilliard Society website.  There are two sections 7 - 11 years and 12 - 16 years.