YOUR FAMILY PHOTOS
Keith Staley writes: I wonder whether Jayne Shrimpton could offer guidance on this picture. Unfortunately it has been renovated, including being painted over, however it seems to me that the dress the lady is wearing is distinctive enough to aid the dating period. Any help will be appreciated.
Jayne Shrimpton replies:
As far as I can tell, and regardless of any subsequent restoration, this beautiful portrait is likely to be an original artwork (as opposed to a re-touched, coloured photograph) – probably a hand-crafted painting by a professional portrait painter or trained amateur artist.
Unsigned works of art
Many thousands of artists of varying abilities were working in the 1800s: they rarely signed their work, but since their subjects generally wore their best quality, most fashionable clothing, we can usually date such pictures