Samuel Andrews, (Irish, circa 1767-1807), ‘Portrait of an Officer in Profile’. Profile to the right. Watercolour en grisaille on ivory, set within original Indian ebony wood frame with brass mount and hanger. Signed and dated, S. Andrews, Calcutta, 1803.
Samuel Andrews began his career in England around 1780 and continued to work until the year of his death in 1807. He moved to India in 1791, where he produced most of his silhouette art. Andrews is known primarily for high-quality miniatures on ivory and profiles en grisaille.
After an early career as a miniaturist in England, Samuel Andrews moved to Madras, India in 1791 and continued his work. It is thought that he became a great admirer of John Smith, another contemporary miniaturist working in India. He later moved to Calcutta where he painted some of his most celebrated profiles en grisaille. Andrews died at the age of 40 and worked for around 27 years of his life. He mostly used papier-mache frames but would also use horn frames and in one known example framed in mahogany. No examples of trade labels for Samuel Andrews have been found.
Samuel Andrews is mostly known for profiles en grisaille. These demonstrate his attention to detail, particularly when creating highlights and depth. Andrews favoured Chinese white to add touches of light to sitters’ dress. His style clearly developed over his relatively long career, with obvious improvements in his depiction of dress by the early nineteenth century.
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