Hallam, John (SCC Newsletter June 1993)

John Hallam

Some more information on this artist and problems of attribution.

Now for four examples of Mr. Hallam’s work (3 men & 1 woman) – there is no doubt in my mind that all four are by Hallam on stylistic grounds, although all have a different combination of attribution points.

Mrs. McKechnie has an entry on Hallam (see pages 410-11). She gives his working dates 1819-24. She dates his frames with the Crown/Hallam hangers as post 1821. She records a handbill & a printed label – neither of which I have seen so far. She describes his work as painted “finely in gold paint against a dark sepia base.” It is to be noted that she had only seen profiles of women. A line of gum arabic “ beneath the line of hair against the face” she regarded as a hallmark of his work. She had noted that little gum arabic was used elsewhere on the profiles. She found that his bust-lines varied – “a shadow line being added in some cases.” She makes reference to the colour of the gold paint he used – i.e. it was not so yellow as some other artists of the time such as Mason. Also, the brushwork he used for the hair of his subjects was not as fine as Jefferson. Finally, she mentions that some examples are signed in the shadow line under the bust.

I have found from my examples that Mrs. McKechnie’s “points”

HALLAM - contd.

cannot be entirely relied upon for attribution - as clearly Mr. Hallam believed in variety! I will give "evidence" of this as far as my examples are concerned:‑

re. gum arabic. My lady does not have any gum arabic beneath her hairline, but two of my men do. Also the two men have considerable gum arabic otherwise to show details of clothing. There is also a thick line of gum arabic under the bust-line. My third man has darklines to show details of clothing & hair but this does not appear to have been done with gum arabic. (I have looked at the silhouette outside the frame.)

re. shadow lines. My gentleman in a Crown/Hallam hanger frame has a faint shadow line right down the back of the profile & also under the bust-line (see illustration) His lady companion has the shadow line only from the neck downwards & then under the bust-line. (see illustration) The other two men have several shadow lines in different shades under the bust-line only. One has three such lines & the other two. (see illustration of the 2 line example)

re.colour of gold & sepia body colour. Two of my examples are painted in a yellowy gold & two in a much pinkier gold. I do not think there has been any variation with time. None of my examples have a sepia main body colour.

re. signature. Only one of my four has a signature beneath the bust-line — this is dated 1820. (see illustration)

However, apart from the "points" mentioned by Mrs McKechnie that I have looked at above I have noticed two other "features" that I think are significant & worth mentioning as possible attribution "tools”. Firstly, the painting of ears -these are all the same in my four examples. These are rather badly painted in my view – in particuLar: with two thick clumsy strokes at the top of the ear!. I see from the two examples illustrated in Mrs.McKechnie on page 483 that No. 819 has "the ear" - but No. 818 does not. I have found myself queying the attribution of this latter silhouette - as apart from the Hallam frame it does not see to have many attributes except the gum arabic line under the hair!

Secondly the painting of the shoulder-line on men – this from my three examples seems to be done by a method of layering—which I have tried to show in two of my illustrations. This seems unusual to me & I have not obviously noticed it on silhouettes by other artists.

Finally, unmentioned by Mrs. McKechnie is Hallam's use of water-colour outside the main body of his silhouettes. Again from my examples he seems to use this to show neck-ties, collars & details of hair —not to mention his shadow-lines & eyelashes. (see illustrations)

I think Hallam is an attractive artist but he does not seem to have been all that prolific from the "autenticated" examples that are around - so it is possible that some of us have examples of his work that we have not been able to attribute. I hope in this connection that some of the "points" I have made in this article may be helpful.

I would be especially interested to who have a Hallam with a label or a signed you have noted any other "features" that I have not been mentioned by Mrs. McKechnie. I think it is cleat that all possible examples by Mr. Hallam need to be looked at carefully & the pros & cons weighed up!

HALLAM – contd.

This Illustratees:-