England, early 19th century / 1801
Portrait of Sandford Peacocke
The Cleveland Museum of Art catalogs Portrait of Sandford Peacocke as portrait miniature (England, early 19th century · 1801).
Sandford Peacocke was married in 1801 and by 1802 was serving in the British military in Jamaica. It may have been for these occasions that the miniature was painted.
A CLOSER LOOK
The museum identifies this portrait miniature as watercolor on ivory in a gold frame with glazed reverse and credits William Wood (British, c. 1768–1809).
The museum's collection notes: William Wood worked primarily in London and exhibited over 100 miniatures at the Royal Academy, where he began his training at the age of 16. His portraits of men in particular are regarded as highly refined and remarkably sensitive psychological studies. While Wood is known to have copied miniatures by Richard Cosway (1742–1821), George Engleheart (1752–1829), and John Smart (1741–1811), his distinctive style can be observed in the network of small dots and dashes of paint that follow the contours of a sitter’s face. In addition to portrait miniatures, Wood executed a number of eye miniatures and became increasingly interested in watercolor
FOLLOW THE EVIDENCE
The Cleveland Museum of ArtPortrait of Sandford PeacockeOriginal explanation based on the sources above. Images carry their own reuse terms.