Research Papers

Including papers submitted by members and links to relevant papers hosted other websites.

‘”Methinks a Diamond Ring is a Vast Addition to the little Finger of a Gentleman”: the use, importance and significance of diamond rings to men of the eighteenth century’ by Rachel Church

The basis of this article was a paper given at the Society of Jewellery Historians conference Jewels in Portraits: Portraits in Jewels (June 2019) and updated in the Understanding British Portraits network Annual Seminar 2019. It looks at the significance of jewellery in male portraits across the eighteenth century with  a particular focus on diamond […]

Read More

Eveleen Tennant Myers: From Model to Portraitist by Judy Oberhausen and Nic Peeters

This research paper explores Eveleen Myers’ adolescent experiences as a studio model to the painters John Millais and Frank Miles, among others, and argues that while learning technique, studio etiquette, and interpersonal skills from these successful practitioners, she also evolved her own artistic vision which characterised her professional photographic work. Download the paper here (PDF): Eveleen […]

Read More

Recent research on Fred Daniels (1892-1959)

Paper by Nigel Arthur, Stills Curator, BFI National Archive Fred Daniels was an elusive character but being elusive makes him all the more interesting. I have recently discovered from conversations with his son Jonty Daniels, that Fred kept working at his studio in Coventry Street for as long as he was physically able even though […]

Read More

‘Portraits and Lace’ by Gil Dye

Over the centuries portraits have been designed to impress; making statements about power, wealth and status. Whenever lace was highly valued it featured strongly in these portraits and this is certainly the case during the period 1540-1640, which is of special interest to me in my study of early bobbin lace. In later portraits skilled […]

Read More

New research on rare clay portrait figure by Chitqua

Paper by Pat Hardy, Curator of Paintings, Prints and Drawings, Museum of London. January 2013. This rare and engaging figure of Thomas Todd (Fig. 1) a London merchant,  is one of the few works to have survived intact which can be attributed to the Chinese artist  Chitqua or Tan-Che-Qua (c.1730- c.1796). It was recently acquired […]

Read More

Interpreting wigs in British portraits by Felicite Gillham

An examination of the influence of fashion, politics and war on the styling of British wigs and hair from the mid-seventeenth to the early-ninteenth centuries. Below is the text of a presentation delivered by Felicite Gillham at the Understanding British Portraits seminar ‘Portraits and Textiles‘ at Norwich Castle Museum on 17 January 2012. Felite Gillham’s […]

Read More

Podcasts from Gresham College

Portrait-relevant lectures available from the Gresham College website include: The Faces of a King: New research on portraits of Henry VIII delivered 1 Oct 2009 by Dr Tarnya Cooper, National Portrait Gallery. The face of Charles Dickens – portraits of the great author delivered 24 November 2005 by Andrew Xavier, The Charles Dickens Museum. Satire, […]

Read More

Queries & Reviews

Submit your portrait query for other members, or post an illustrated case study, review, or research paper.