Revealing the history of an 1854 family portrait

[Gadget]

I've just been looking up the history of knuckle rings (on her right hand).  It's supposed to signify a 'woman who doesn't do manual work!! I'll see if I can find anything more enlightening about them. 

Also, Walker isn't a wealthy area these days. Do you have their address(es)?

[Gadget]

The 1860 Alice Tweddell was the daughter of the Anne Tweddell (nee Field) pictured in this painting.

Perhaps I got it wrong but I thought you said Anne Tweddell was née PLACE?

So did I 

The marriage bond has that as her surname.

[andrewshields]

Yes, I think this is the marriage bond (my research had 25th October as the wedding date but this tallies with all other details).

re the bracelet, I suspect the swirl is to represent a picture or cameo of some sort.

[andrewshields]

Sorry, my bad. Anne Tweddell (nee Place). Not sure where Field came from...

Here's our research on this section of the family.

[Treetotal]

It does look like there is a suggestion of an image on the bracelet, as Gadget pointed out, the artist has left and impression without adding too much detail. I have read somewhere that whitby jet jewellery often included a shell cameo, so I looked it up....maybe something like this:

https://www.rubylane.com/item/1215952-antiquex20cameox20whitbyx20jetx20racel/Antique-Italian-Cameo-Whitby-Jet-Bracelet?search=1

Beautiful portrait, its worth remembering that up and coming struggling artists often painted local ladies at a fraction of the cost of an established artist to gain experience. Also art work was often traded as payment in exchange for services so it doesn't surprise me that it's not signed. Could it have been painted by a relative who would feel it wasn't necessary to sign the art work.

Carol 

[Gadget]

Interesting that on the 1861  Robert Tweddell, 31 , butcher, b. Benton is a lodger with the Place family:

RG09/3844/13/20

Gadget

[andrewshields]

Thanks Treetotal, I'm sure you're right about the bracelet.

Was the wearing of Whitby jet popular among all classes or only among the higher classes at this time? I'm wondering whether this and the knuckle ring are indications of Anne's status...

Painting in exchange for services is an interesting idea; as for it being painted by a family member, we've found nothing to suggest any artistic tendencies in our family researches. I'm no expert but to my eyes the portrait seems relatively accomplished, and the gilt frame might also suggest a professional job.

[Gadget]

Apart from traveling painters, Newcastle had (and still has)  a flourishing art school - The School of Art in Newcastle was established in 1838:

https://www.ncl.ac.uk/sacs/fineart/about/

Also, the Laing Gallery might have info on portraitists working in the area at that time

https://laingartgallery.org.uk/


Gadget