Lot 5: Catherine Andras (British, 1775-1860) A fine profile of Horatio, 1st Viscount Nelson, facing left, with hair en queue, wearing Rear-Admiral's full-dress uniform, sash and breast star of the Order of the Bath and naval medal of the Nile

Catherine Andras (British, 1775-1860)
A fine profile of Horatio, 1st Viscount Nelson, facing left, with hair en queue, wearing Rear-Admiral's full-dress uniform, sash and breast star of the Order of the Bath and naval medal of the Nile.
monochrome wax low-relief backed with brown velvet, signed and indistinctly dated on the truncation C. ANDRAS/1801(?), original gilt-mounted rectangular papier-mache frame, bears inscription on the reverse 253/ in the Exhibition/ Lord Nelson/ by C. Andras 1801/ Miss Sharpe/ Modeler in Wax/ to her Majesty Queen/ Charlotte/ See George Scharf Esqres/ letter.
Oval, 105mm (4 1/8in) high
Footnotes

In December 1800, Nelson sat for the miniaturist Robert Bowyer (this portrait now in the Royal Collection). At the same time, Catherine Andras, adopted daughter of Bowyer, worked up a wax profile. This profile, exhibited at the Royal Academy, 1801, no. 1030, was used in 1805 by Boulton and Kuchler for the Trafalgar medal. In the Bowyer Memorials, the writer of his biographical anecdotes relates that "When Miss Andras was working at the medallion of the hero, the celebrated miniature painter Robert Bowyer happened to be painting the other side of the great Admiral's face upon which Nelson laughingly remarked that he was not used to being attacked in that manner starboard and larboard at the same time". Various casts were made from this original in 1805 and 1812. Whilst the present lot appears to be dated 1801 on the truncation and is inscribed with this date in what appears to be a contemporary hand on the reverse, it has not been possible to prove whether this is the original wax profile of Lord Nelson that was exhibited by Andras at the Royal Academy in 1801 as suggested by the later inscription.

Andras exhibited at the Royal Academy from 1799-1824. She was appointed Modeller in Wax to Her Majesty Queen Charlotte in 1801.