Dummy Boards
Dummy board figures, sometimes known as Silent Companions, are flat paintings done on wood in the realistic style known as trompe lʼoeil (literally, "deceiving the eye") or the illusionistic style of painting popular in the 17th century, then cut and shaped in outline to fabricate the figure of a person, an animal or an inanimate object. Read a brief history of the dummy board
I have spent many years researching historic dummy boards, investigating more than 500 different examples from all parts of the world, and am now one of the foremost historians in this field. I am currently putting together a book, "This Quiet Life", on the subject and would welcome discussion of any figures that you own or have seen. I am quite willing to help antique dealers, museums, history professionals, art historians and students with any study of particular dummy board figures they might be undertaking.
I am also available for lectures and research. Should you like me to come and give a talk on "The Dummy Board Figure - A Forgotten Folk Art Form", to your art society or club, please email me. My talk is illustrated with a Powerpoint display, full sized replica figures and several hand painted miniature figures.
Below are just some of the figures I have painted in miniature and life-size. These are in private collections across the world.
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Two Sisters after Gainsborough 1770Miniature dummy board.
Oil on basswood, 5 ins. Private collection.
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Lady BonThe face of the person who commissioned this figure has been painted into a Gainsborough portrait and rendered as a dummy board figure.
Oil on board, 48 ins. Private collection.
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Humphry ClinkerA character from Tobias Smollettʼs novel of 1771 “The Expedition of Humphry Clinker” in costume of 1710. Just a fanciful idea of what I think this colourful product of Smollettʼs imagination might have looked like.
Oil on board, 33 ins. Private collection.
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Mme de PompadourMiniature Dummy board based on a portrait by Boucher in the Wallace Collection, London.
Height 5 inches, width 6 inches. Artistʼs collection.
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Sir StephenSusanne's husband rendered as a Jacobean courtier c. 1610.
Oil on board, 50 ins. Artistʼs collection.
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Lydiard Girl and Small DogMiniature dummy board.
Oil on bassword, 3 1/2 ins. By kind permission of Sandra Morris.
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TobiasA copy of one half of a pair of Dutch children dummy boards held at Chirk castle U.K., c.1600.
The boy with a rudimentary golf club and the girl with a basket of apples. He is dressed in the typical costume of the well to do middle classes seen in the paintings of the age, plenty of lace. Of course the young man wears skirts as did all the young boys of his age.
Oil on board, 36ins. Private collection.
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Luigi Boccherini and Cats in a Jewellery BoxLuigi Boccherini - this miniature dummy board of the Classical composer and famous cellist Luigi Boccherini is based on the portrait of him by Pompeo Batoni. Oil on basswood, 4 x 3 inches. Artistʼs collection.
Cats in a Jewellery Box - a lovely 19th century painting by Henriette Ronner-Knip was the inspiration for this dummy board figure depicting three kittens.
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James and LouiseChild of the Royal house of Stuart. c.1690. The son of the ousted Catholic King James 2nd and nephew of Charles 2nd.The first failed Jacobite rebellion tried to put him on the throne of England and his son Bonnie Prince Charlie tried unsuccessfully for the throne again some years later. This is taken from a portrait of James Francis Edward and his sister Louise Maria Theresa Stuart.
Oil on board, 36 ins and 29ins respectively. Private collection.
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Verinda of SendBeautiful Great Dane miniature dummy board.
Oil on Basswood, 3 ins by 3 1/2. Private collection.
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Antoinnec.1739 After Chardin. The Scholar. Taken from the painting called The Governess.
Oil on board, 33 ins. Private collection.
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Lady Sheffield and the Shrewsbury PugBoth these are miniatures based on actual full sized dummy boards in private collection.
Lady Sheffield - oil on basswood, size 5 x 3 inches. Private collection.
Oil on basswood - oil on bassword, 1 inch. Private collection.
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Magdalenac.1741 after Chardin. A young French lady dressed in her Sunday best.
Oil on board, 29 ins. Artistʼs collection.
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BelleMiniature dummy board taken from an Edwardian photograph.
Oil on Basswood, 4 ins. By kind permission of Julie Campbell.
