Lot Essay
It is difficult to establish with any accuracy which of the 4 portraits of John Small recorded in Wood's "Memorandum of Miniatures" this is or how the code he occasionally uses on the reverse of his works refers to the numbering of entries in the Memorandum. The Memorandum is a record of Wood's preparation, execution and payment for his works and reveals technical details of the miniaturist at work.
The first entry reads "5065 A portrait of Colonel Small, of the 84th/Foot - in the Highland Uniform, bonnet - SW, in the Frill, part of the shirt collar under the Ear & Eye ....opake white in shirt under the chin and touches on Epaulet & all other parts. Painted in Feby, and April 1791 - a large size - Exhibited at the Royal A=/=cademy, in 1791 - About 60 - ivory polished to a gloss- Del.d to him 15 July 1793."
Graves records a portrait of an officer by Wood exhibited at the Royal Academy in 1791, no. 334 but no name is given.
The second entry reads "5276 Second of Colonel Small, in the full Highland uniform, bonnet etc a verted eye - 7th size lengthened - About 70 - .... - Fini'd 10 Feby. 1794 - .... -....red is chiefly Turner's madder Exhibited 1794 - Delivered to Mr Angus McDonald 20 June 1794"
There is no record of an officer by Wood exhibited for the year 1794 in the Royal Academy records. .
The third entry reads "5377 Major General Small - copied from 5276 - Zinck in first of plaid 7th size enlarged About 70/..... 8 gs Fin'd 30 Nov.95 Del'd 23 June, 1796"
The fourth entry in Volume 2 reads "5448 Major General Small, copied from 5276, 4th min. of him - ivory prepared with Rush - Mapoul's blanc leger in first of body tints; the last are of Reeve's constant white - Epaulet of 2nd...../& King's Yellow - silver behind the head - Red lead in light parts of coat - Frill of 90 - Plaid of 17 - The sword hilt be suppor'd of 2nd.... - Touches of gum on the face {In Nov. 1801 - I put some touches of 147 and 327 onthe Plaid} 8th size of Vol. 1 enlarged Finished 10 Oct. 1796"
According to the sizing of the works, it is most probable that this miniature is the last one Wood painted in 1796, completed 7 days after Small's death. The 8th size referred to in Vol. I measures 3 11/16in. high, whereas the 7th size only measures 3 1/4in. high
These excerpts from Wood's "Memorandum of Miniatures" are reproduced by the courtesy of the Trustees of the Victoria and Albert Museum, London.
John Small (1726-1796) was born in Strath Ardle, Atholl, Perthshire. He served in the Scottish brigade in the Dutch service and obtained a commision as an ensign in the 42nd Highlanders on 29 August 1747 and was appointed Lieutenent in 1756 before departing to America to serve under John Campbell, 4th Earl of Loudoun. He took part in the unsuccessful attack on Ticonderoga, under Major-General James Abercrombie and accompanied Sir Jeffrey Amherst in his expedition against Canada in 1757. He went onto Montreal in 1760. In 1762 he sailed with his regiment against Martinique and was promoted to Captain. On 14 June 1775, he received a commission as Major to raise a body of Highlanders in Nova Scotia to act against the Colonists. He took part in the Battle of Bunker's Hill and was later appointed to command the 2nd Battalion of the 84th Royal Engineers, part of whom he took to join Sir Henry Clintock in New York in 1779. He was appointed Lieutenant-Colonel in 1780 and received his commission as Colonel on 18 November 1790. In 1793 he was nominated Lieutenant-Governor of Guernsey and was appointed Major-General on 3 October 1796. He died at Guernsey on 17 March 1796. He is a prominent figure in Trumbell's picture of Bunker Hill.
The first entry reads "5065 A portrait of Colonel Small, of the 84th/Foot - in the Highland Uniform, bonnet - SW, in the Frill, part of the shirt collar under the Ear & Eye ....opake white in shirt under the chin and touches on Epaulet & all other parts. Painted in Feby, and April 1791 - a large size - Exhibited at the Royal A=/=cademy, in 1791 - About 60 - ivory polished to a gloss- Del.d to him 15 July 1793."
Graves records a portrait of an officer by Wood exhibited at the Royal Academy in 1791, no. 334 but no name is given.
The second entry reads "5276 Second of Colonel Small, in the full Highland uniform, bonnet etc a verted eye - 7th size lengthened - About 70 - .... - Fini'd 10 Feby. 1794 - .... -....red is chiefly Turner's madder Exhibited 1794 - Delivered to Mr Angus McDonald 20 June 1794"
There is no record of an officer by Wood exhibited for the year 1794 in the Royal Academy records. .
The third entry reads "5377 Major General Small - copied from 5276 - Zinck in first of plaid 7th size enlarged About 70/..... 8 gs Fin'd 30 Nov.95 Del'd 23 June, 1796"
The fourth entry in Volume 2 reads "5448 Major General Small, copied from 5276, 4th min. of him - ivory prepared with Rush - Mapoul's blanc leger in first of body tints; the last are of Reeve's constant white - Epaulet of 2nd...../& King's Yellow - silver behind the head - Red lead in light parts of coat - Frill of 90 - Plaid of 17 - The sword hilt be suppor'd of 2nd.... - Touches of gum on the face {In Nov. 1801 - I put some touches of 147 and 327 onthe Plaid} 8th size of Vol. 1 enlarged Finished 10 Oct. 1796"
According to the sizing of the works, it is most probable that this miniature is the last one Wood painted in 1796, completed 7 days after Small's death. The 8th size referred to in Vol. I measures 3 11/16in. high, whereas the 7th size only measures 3 1/4in. high
These excerpts from Wood's "Memorandum of Miniatures" are reproduced by the courtesy of the Trustees of the Victoria and Albert Museum, London.
John Small (1726-1796) was born in Strath Ardle, Atholl, Perthshire. He served in the Scottish brigade in the Dutch service and obtained a commision as an ensign in the 42nd Highlanders on 29 August 1747 and was appointed Lieutenent in 1756 before departing to America to serve under John Campbell, 4th Earl of Loudoun. He took part in the unsuccessful attack on Ticonderoga, under Major-General James Abercrombie and accompanied Sir Jeffrey Amherst in his expedition against Canada in 1757. He went onto Montreal in 1760. In 1762 he sailed with his regiment against Martinique and was promoted to Captain. On 14 June 1775, he received a commission as Major to raise a body of Highlanders in Nova Scotia to act against the Colonists. He took part in the Battle of Bunker's Hill and was later appointed to command the 2nd Battalion of the 84th Royal Engineers, part of whom he took to join Sir Henry Clintock in New York in 1779. He was appointed Lieutenant-Colonel in 1780 and received his commission as Colonel on 18 November 1790. In 1793 he was nominated Lieutenant-Governor of Guernsey and was appointed Major-General on 3 October 1796. He died at Guernsey on 17 March 1796. He is a prominent figure in Trumbell's picture of Bunker Hill.