Antique 1870 Painting Royal Navy Officer Portrait J.J. & S Johnson Sheffield
$ 250.8
Description
Antique 1870 Painting Royal Navy Officer Portrait J.J. & S Johnson Sheffield. Bought as an oil painting, but it may be a hand painted photographic portrait. Dated June 1870 and created by J.J. & S. Johnson of Glossop Road, Sheffield, this piece captures a Royal Navy officer in full dress, adorned with medals and epaulettes. Bought as an oil painting, but it may be a hand painted photographic portrait. The backing bears a handwritten inscription, likely identifying the sitter as Commander J. S. Byron (faint and partially legible), adding a personal and historical layer to the work. Rendered as a hand-painted photographic portrait, a technique popular in the 19th century, where a photographic base was carefully enhanced with paint to achieve the richness of a formal painted likeness. J.J. & S. Johnson, Sheffield — a 19th-century photographic studio known for producing formal portraits, often enhanced by hand painting during the early days of photography. Studios like theirs were part of the early rise of commercial photography, creating refined portraits for military officers and families. Housed in an ornate antique frame. 19 x 15.5” framed.
