Hankes, Jarvis Frary (SCC Newsletter January 2006)

Artists other then Hubard who worked for the Gallery

Master Hankes

Hankes was the most prominent artist working with the Gallery in America. He did not come to England in 1829 although Mrs McKechnie has an entry on him in her book, (as he was born in England), with no illustrations as she had not seen any works by him that she cold definitely attribute. He started work as a profilist in 1825 and is recorded as working for the Gallery in January 1828, when he is described as “a youth, who posses the rare talent of delineating every object in Nature and Art with a pair of common scissors”. Apparently he was about 29 years of age at the time! After Hubard’s departure he became known as the “immediate and only successor to the celebrated Master Hubard”. Although clearly other young men, not to mention young girls, were working for the gallery — the later particularly in Salem, which was a great centre of silhouette work in America at this period. Hankes was a versatile cutter and amongst other subjects cut “an elegant and elaborate view of York”.

Hubard Gallery page 5

Hankes's works.

Both illustrations are from Mrs Carrick's book. The bust line on both ladies is quite distinctive in the way it shows the arm demarcation — a similar example could help with attribution. The lady on the left has some cursory gilding not of an especially good quality. The label would appear to have been used by Hankes after he left the Gallery — and set up his own?

Dr Holyoke aged 100 years, cut on a rough wash base with shadows. A similar figure is illustrated in Peggy Hickman's "Silhouette. A Living Art" on page 46 of an unknown American circa 1820.