CIRCA 1825 CHILD TODDLER BABY HOLLOW CUT SILHOUETTE WITH FRAME/MASSACHUSETTS For Sale

CIRCA 1825 CHILD/BABY HOLLOW CUT SILHOUETTE WITH FRAME. Silhouettes are a timeless art form, which has become extremely rare these days. Last picture has light reflection on upper right corner.(artifact) It measures 4 1/2 inches by 5 1/4 inches by 3/4inch (depth of frame)
One of the greatest challenges facing early cutters was the unavailability of black paper. Pre-died black paper was not produced until 1826, so early artists were faced with the challenge of ‘blackening’ sheets of white paper. A number of materials were used, including lamp black and burnt animal bones, with varying degrees of success. It is thought to be the difficulty of accessing black paper that brought about the ‘hollow cut’ method. In this technique the silhouette was cut out of white paper, with the outline of the portrait left in the centre of the page. The paper was then placed over black cloth, or other dark media, to create the silhouette.