James Sharples (1751-1811) - Portrait Of A Lady And A Gentleman

Portrait of a Lady and Portrait of a Gentleman. A fine pair of paintings on paper attributed to the renowned Anglo-American artist James Sharples (1751/1752-1811). James Sharples (1751/1752-1811) was an English portrait and pastel artist who moved to the United States in 1794. He first exhibited at the Royal Academy in 1779. Sharples initially planned to become a Catholic priest, but eventually became an artist. He was the head of a family of successful portrait painters, including his third wife, Ellen. Before his marriage, James Sharples was active in Bristol, Liverpool, and Bath, where he taught drawing. The artist launched his career in America in 1794 by offering to paint portraits of local and national politicians. He then used the original portraits to present to new clients or to make copies. At this time, copies of portraits of famous people were popular, but competition among artists was fierce, and many had to travel to find clients. He also painted three-quarter-length portraits in pastel, with a delicate and precise touch. His color palette was dominated by black, white, and gray. Skin tones were rendered in flesh tones, and backgrounds were usually blue. Sharples charged $15 per profile and $25 for a full-frontal view. His subjects included George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Hester Thraie, Joseph Priestley, James Madison, Dolley Madison, John Adams, and Elihu Hubbard Smith. Frame dimensions: 25 cm x 17.5 cm. Provenance: Frost and Reed stock number D 4040.