An Officer

This small pendant-style miniature of a young officer in his brilliant red coat must have been a treasured portrait that served as a reminder of the man while he was away. The reverse scene of a country church is an unusual choice. Finely chopped dark hair has been mixed into the watercolors used to denote the landscape. While sepia-toned paint mixed with hair was common, it was used more often for memorials mourning a death. Using the sitter’s hair to paint a church must have had a deep personal meaning, or perhaps a connection to the place, which has been lost.