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KC1966-288
Miniature portrait of a Member of the Fauquier Family, probably William Fauquier (1733-1805).
KC1966-288

Miniature portrait of a Member of the Fauquier Family, probably William Fauquier (1733-1805).

Date1761
Artist John Smart (1742/1743-1811)
OriginEngland, London
MediumWatercolor on paper or cardstock with a glass cover in a gold case set with rubies, paste stones backed with silver foil, and, in at least one case, a garnet. See "Notes" for additional commentary.
DimensionsOverall (including casing): 1 11/16 x 1 9/16in. (4.3 x 4cm)
Credit LineGift of Gilbert Fauquier in memory of his father, Gilbert Emilius Fauquier
Object number1973-246
DescriptionA bust-length portrait of a youngish man turned a quarter towards the viewer's right, his eyes to the viewer. He appears to wear his own hair, slightly powdered; it is combed back from his forehead, curled over the ears, and (probably; this is not visible) tied in a queue behind. He has dark brown eyes and eye brows and wears a red, collarless uniform with blue facings that is trimmed with gold braid and gold buttons. He also wears a buff-colored waistcoat trimmed with gold braid and gold buttons, a white neck cloth, and a white ruffled shirt. The background is a warm dark brown.

The image is enclosed in a gold case set with a double row of glittering red stones (see "Materials" and "Notes"), the inner row tightly circling the case, the outer row assuming a slightly wavy line to leave open spaces between the two rows at regular intervals.
Label TextThis miniature was long held in the Fauquier family, whose more recent members invariably identified the sitter as Francis Fauquier (1703-1768), Virginia's well-liked Lieutenant Governor during 1758-1768. But two basic conflicts preclude such an identification. First, Francis is not known to have undertaken military service. Secondly, the subject's uniform and hairstyle accord with the 1760s (even if the painting's barely discernable inscribed date of "1761" has been misinterpreted), when Francis Fauquier would have been 57-67 years; clearly, the miniature shows a younger man. The portrait's lengthy Fauquier ownership does suggest that the subject was a family member, however. Who?

While absolute proof may continue to elude researchers, the younger of the Lieutenant Governor's two sons is a likely candidate. Francis's older son, also named Francis, had no military career, but his younger son, William (1733-1805), served in the First Regiment of Foot Guards from 1753 to 1771. That would make William's age a good match, and military historians cite convincing evidence that the likeness's uniform is credible for William's unit. William joined the First Regiment of Foot Guards as an ensign on December 22, 1753, was promoted to the dual rank of lieutenant and captain May 7, 1758, and retired on May 13, 1771. In fact, records indicate that he was the only man with the Fauquier surname to have served in Britain's regular army in the period 1720-1793.

Style, technique, and a "J S" inscription reveal the likeness as the work of John Smart, one of eighteenth-century England's best known miniaturists. In 1761, Smart would have been only about twenty and five years into his apprenticeship with William Shipley (1714-1803), master of a popular London drawing school. The precocious young artist had begun winning awards for his draftsmanship as early as 1754, however. The goldsmith who encased the image remains unidentified. The setting's borders of rubies (some of them later replaced with substitutes) emphasize the work's dual role as portraiture and fine jewelry.

InscribedAn inscription above the subject's proper right shoulder reads:
"J S/17[61? the last two digits are barely discernible]." The letters are in script. The inscription appears to be slightly impressed or incised into the support.
ProvenanceThe earliest part of the line of family descent remains undocumented. In 1930 (Weddell, "Bibliography"), the miniature was published as owned by "Gerald" [an error for "Gilbert"; see Gilbert Fauquier to James Cogar, 14 December 1940] E. Fauquier of Rockcliffe, Ottawa, Canada, who, in Weddell, stated that he had received the miniature from Miss Mary Fauquier (1826-1910) of West Haddon, England, daughter of the Rev. George Lily [other sources say "Lillie" or "Little"] Wodehouse Fauquier (1798-1887), Vicar of West Haddon.

Gilbert E. Fauquier did not inherit the miniature from Mary Fauquier (1826-1910), however, assuming it is the same one that sold in 1910 as lot 213 at an auction of Mary Fauquier's estate (see "Published").

Per CWF file correspondence of the 1940s, the miniature was owned by Gilbert Emilius Fauquier (1868-1940), a great-great-grandson of William Fauquier (1708-1788), who was a brother of Lt. Governor Francis Fauquier (1703-1768). Gilbert Emilius Fauquier left the miniature to his wife, Jessie Mae Gilmour Fauquier (b. 1888)[John D. Rockefeller, Jr., to James Cogar, 24 April 1946]; following his wife's death, the miniature went to his son, Gilbert Fauquier (1906-1982) who, in 1973, donated it to CWF.


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