This lively portrait of a young man depicts a sitter who has been previously catalogued as ‘Gavenham’. However, closer inspection of the engraved reverse reveals the name ‘Govenham’, the same name as a pair of miniatures displayed at the Royal Academy by Engleheart in 1818 (albeit then as ‘Major Govenham’)[1].

The sitter remains something of a mystery, as the fashion worn dates him to the late 1780s/ early 1790s, with his powdered hair and tied cravat. As a general rule, sitters whose profession was in the military or navy wore their uniform for their portraits, even when voluntary members of militia. It is more likely that the sitter became a ‘captain’ after the portrait was commissioned from Engleheart and the frame engraved later, or that the portrait has been fitted into a case intended for someone else. It is also possible that the ‘Captain Govenham’ displayed in 1818 was the son of the present sitter.

Though to the modern eye, such striking pink hair may seem to be rather unique, Govenham is only following the trends of his time. Many of Engleheart’s sitters are adorned with powdered wigs, some of which are pink, though more commonly they are powdered with white, or off-white. At the end of the 18th century, around about when this portrait would have been painted, the government had put in place an annual license fee on the purchase of powder for wigs, in order to raise money to fund war. If this was painted following the imposition of this tariff, he would have had to be willing to pay such a fee, just to maintain the upkeep of his pink hair. The passing trends for fashions such a pink powder were uniquely recorded by miniaturists, as such vogues were likely deemed too ephemeral to document in oil paintings destined to hang on a wall for centuries to come.

The oeuvre of George Engleheart demonstrates the fact that he was aware of such fashions, and was more than happy to depict his sitters wearing them. Not only this, but he was talented in doing so. A closer look at his miniatures, including the present, reveals his use of bold lines of colour to create detail that appears smooth and seamless from afar. Here, this has a particular effect on the face of the painter, which is speckled with lines of a peach colour, giving him a rosy complexion to complement his hair. He would have developed this technique not only through his countless commissions and creations, but also his training under great portrait painters of the time, like Joshua Reynolds. This skill would lead him to be patronised by King George III, as well as numerous other important noblemen and noblewomen of the period.

[1] London, Royal Academy, 1818, no. 824 (As Major Govenham, alongside a portrait of Mrs Govenham).