Colin Gibb and Charles Gibb - Auguste Edouart

A classic paper cut-out silhouette by Auguste Edouart, depicting two boys playing battledore and shuttlecock with precise, freehand detail.

Auguste Edouart was a French silhouettist who gained popularity in Britain and the United States during the early nineteenth century. Unlike many of his contemporaries who relied on mechanical tracing devices, Edouart produced his silhouettes by freehand cutting with scissors. This method allowed for a greater sense of movement and individual character in his subjects. His work often captured the middle and upper classes in domestic or recreational settings, providing a record of period fashion and social behaviour.

This piece depicts two boys, Colin and Charles Gibb, engaged in a game of battledore and shuttlecock. The composition is stark, utilising the high contrast between the black paper figures and the plain background. Edouart frequently placed his subjects against simple, hand-drawn or lithographed backgrounds, though here the focus remains entirely on the silhouettes themselves. The figures are captured in mid-motion, with the shuttlecock suspended between their rackets. This choice of subject reflects the Victorian interest in childhood pastimes and the documentation of family life.

Edouart's career was marked by his prolific output and his systematic approach to his craft. He often kept duplicate copies of his silhouettes in large albums, which he referred to as his 'foliographic' collection. These records have provided historians with a wealth of information regarding the dress and social habits of the era. The precision of the cutting, particularly in the rendering of the boys' clothing and the dynamic posture of their limbs, demonstrates the technical skill that made Edouart a sought-after artist during his time in Britain. This print captures the clean lines and minimalist aesthetic that define the silhouette medium, offering a glimpse into a specific moment of nineteenth-century leisure.