Miss Agnes McCallum

Artist William Mercer (Scotland, active 1820 - 1836)

Associated Miss Agnes Davidson

Date1836

Mediumoil on canvas

ClassificationsPaintings And Drawings

DimensionsOverall: Height: 91.9 cm, Width: 71.4 cm
Frame: Height: 114.6 cm, Width: 94.6 cm

AcquisitionBequeathed in 1939 by Mrs F W Cavey.

CopyrightOut of copyright - CC0

LocationView by Appointment - Aberdeen Treasure Hub

Object numberABDAG004383

Keywords

About MeThis delightful portrait was painted by William Mercer, a prolific portraitist who is remembered today chiefly as the teacher of John Phillip. The sitter, Agnes McCallum, was born in Campbeltown on 11th January 1820. Her mother, Catherine McNair, was married to James McCallum on 3rd November 1818, in the parish of Killean and Kilkenzie, where they were both born. Both were born in Killean. The family moved to Aberdeen where they lived on Canal Terrace, near Mounthooly and Agnes's father James worked as a tide surveyor.

Agnes is clearly a follower of fashion although she is just a little behind the times: her dress does have the wide shoulders, sloping to extremely large sleeves that characterised the fashion of the 1830s but the small waist, which is accentuated with a wide belt, was a fashion continuing from the 1820s and was disappearing by 1835, being replaced by a bodice that began to taper to a small point at the front waist. On her belt Agnes wears a large jeweled buckle and also has a pearl bracelet, a long thin gold chain and delicate gold earrings. Her hair is parted in the centre and dressed in elaborate curls, extending out to both sides and up from the crown of her head.

On the 14th December 1842 Agnes married Alex Davidson, an Aberdeen merchant. She had at least one child, also Agnes, whose portrait is also in this collection. She died on 15th February 1881, aged 62. This picture was presented by her granddaughter, Mrs Agnes McCallum Carey.

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The creator of this delightful portrait of Miss Agnes McCallum was a prolific portraitist who is remembered today as the teacher of John Phillip. How does her dress differ from the styles of today?