Silhouette Portraits: A Brief History

Silhouette portraits came into existence around the late 18th century, as a cheap and effective way of recording a person’s image. 

The term “silhouette” comes from the French finance minister, Etienne de Silhouette, who had a reputation for imposing severe cost cutting economies on the French  during  the Seven Years War. It so happened that a hobby of his was to cut  profiles of people out of card. Being a very economical way of producing a likeness, his name became linked with anything  done “on the cheap”!

There were of course many other ways of making a silhouette picture. Some artists specialised in silhouette painting on the underside of glass while others preferred creating silhouette prints by painting on plaster or card. 

Probably the finest silhouette artists during the heyday of this art form were one John Miers (1756 – 1821) and his esteemed partner John Field. Between them they produced the most exquisitely beautiful  silhouette pictures, often using single haired brushes to pick out fine detail.

Despite it’s humble beginnings, so popular and flattering was the silhouette portrait, that many of the rich and famous also elected to be sitters, including  royalty and even the great Wellington and Nelson.    

There is something especially charming about the silhouette painting, whether it be a cheap seaside cut out or finely executed masterpiece from a regency studio. Maybe it’s their timeless simplicity - silhouette paintings are still much loved and have now become a quintessentially English icon.

Our framed silhouette prints are classified by male silhouette portraits, female silhouette portraits and colour silhouette portraits.

Browse our extensive collection of silhouette portraits and order yours today!