Peruke Collection (#6)

JEAN DOMINIQUE CASSINI (1625-1712). French astronomer. Lithograph, French, 19th century

HENRI COCHIN (1687-1747). French lawyer. Lithograph, French, 19th century

HENRY BOUVERIE BRAND (1814-1892). English statesman. Photograph, c1880

LUIGI BOCCHERINI (1743-1805). Italian composer. Lithograph, early 19th century

CHARLES SACKVILLE (1638-1706). 6th Earl of Dorset. English poet and courtier. Oil on canvas, c1697, by Sir Godfrey Kneller

EARL OF BATH (1684-1764). William Pulteney, first Earl of Bath. English politician. Canvas by Sir Joshua Reynolds, 1761

ETIENNE BONNOT de CONDILLAC (1715-1780). French philosopher. Aquatint, French, late 18th century

JOHANN CHRISTIAN BACH (1735-1782). German composer. Oil on canvas, c1776, by Thomas Gainsborough

JOHN DRYDEN (1631-1700). English poet. Oil on canvas, 1693, by Sir Godfrey Kneller

FRANCESCO ALGAROTTI (1712-1764). Italian philosopher and critic. Pastel, 1745, by Jean Etienne Liotard (1702-1789)

MARQUIS de CONDORCET (1743-1794). Marie Jean Antoine Nicolas de Caritat, Marquis de Condorcet. French mathematician, philosopher, and revolutionary. Steel engraving, French, 19th century

LANCELOT BROWN (1715-1783). Known as Capability Brown. English landscape gardener. Oil on canvas, c1770, after Nathaniel Dance

KARL FRIEDRICH ABEL (1725-1787). German musician and composer. Oil on canvas by Thomas Gainsborough, c1777

WILLIAM CUSHING (1732-1810). American jurist. Etching, 1889, by Max Rosenthal after a pastel drawing, 1799, by James Sharples

4TH EARL OF CHESTERFIELD (1694-1774). Philip Dormer Stanhope. English statesman and man of letters. Oil on canvas by Allan Ramsay, 1765

BARON de CLOOTS (1755-1794). Jean Baptiste du Val-de-Grace. Known as Anacharsis Cloots. Prussian-born revolutionary in France. Etching, French, early 19th century

PHILIP DORMER STANHOPE (1694-1774). Fourth Earl of Chesterfield. English statesman and man of letters. Oil on canvas after Sir William Hoare, c1742

GEORGES-JACQUES DANTON (1759-1794). French revolutionary leader. Oil on canvas, c1792, by Constance Marie Charpentier

DANIEL BERNOULLI (1700-1782). Swiss mathematician. Line engraving, 19th century

BOSWELL & JOHNSON. Thomas Rowlandsons satirical etching of Scottish lawyer and writer James Boswell and English man of letters Samuel Johnson, talking till near two in the morning

ROBERT BOYLE (1627-1691). Anglo-Irish physicist and chemist. Oil on canvas, c1689, after Johann Kerseboom

CHARLES A. de CALONNE (1734-1802). French politician. Mezzotint, French, 19th century, after Elizabeth Vigee-Lebrun

JEREMIAH GRIDLEY (1701-1767). American lawyer. Oil on canvas by John Smibert, mid 18th century

ROBERT JOSEPH PHILLIMORE (1810-1885). English jurist. Photographed, c1877

WILLIAM BALLIOL BRETT (1817-1899). 1st Viscout Esher and English jurist. Photograph, c1877

SIR JOSEPH WILLIAM CHITTY (1828-1899). English jurist. Photograph, c1883

SIR EDWARD EBENEZER KAY (1822-1897). English jurist

A COUNCILLER, 1801. Caricature etching by Thomas Rowlandson

ROWLANDSON: ANTIQUARIANS. The Reception of a New Member in the Society of Antiquarians. Watercolor by Thomas Rowlandson, 1782

MEDICINE: CHARLATAN. Le Malade Imaginaire. Etching, French, 18th century

GIBSON: BOY, 1896. In Days To Come, Who Will Look After This Boy? Pen and ink drawing, 1896, by Charles Dana Gibson

FRANCE: TOASTING. Illustration by Frank C. Pape from an English edition, 1922, of Anatole Frances La Rotisserie de la Reine Pedauque (first published in 1893)

WIGMAKING, 18th CENTURY. French wigs, from L Encyclopedie of Denis Diderot
WIGMAKING, 18th CENTURY. French wigs, from " L Encyclopedie" of Denis Diderot

BATONI: MONSIEUR de SALLE. Portrait of Monsieur de Salle by Pompeo Girolamo Batoni (1708-1787)

NEW YORK CITY: PARADE, c1909. A re-enactment of the 1735 trial of John Peter Zenger on a float in a parade in New York City. Stereograph, c1909

SNUFF, 1720. A snuff-taker of 1720. Woodcut, English, 1720

SIR JOHN BARLEYCORN. Sir John Barleycorn, the British personification of alcoholic beverages. Woodcut, English, 18th century

ROWLANDSON: GAMING TABLE. A Gaming Table at Devonshire House. Pen and watercolor, Thomas Rowlandson, 1791

GEORGE IV: WEDDING. Satirical cartoon of King George IV, then Prince of Wales, and Maria Anna Fitzherbert, whom he married in secret on 15 December, 1785

GEORGE II (1683-1760). King of Great Britain and Ireland, 1727-1760. Painting after Sir Godfrey Kneller, c1716

CHARLES II (1630-1685). King of England, 1660-1685. Oil painting by Sir Peter Lely, c1670

CHARLES EDWARD STUART (1720-1788). Prince Charles Edward Stuart, called the Young Pretender and Bonnie Prince Charlie. Claimant to the British throne

KING GEORGE III OF ENGLAND. Temperance enjoying a frugal meal. George III (1738-1820), King of Great Britain and Ireland (1760-1820), dining with his consort, Queen Charlotte

AYSCOUGH AND PUPILS, c1749. Francis Ayscough, Dean of Bristol Cathedral and tutor to Princes George (later Prince of Wales, then King George III) and Edward (later Duke of York and Albany)

QUEEN CAROLINE TRIAL, 1820. The trial of Caroline of Brunswick (1768-1821), Queen consort of King George IV of England, in the House of Lords, 1820. Detail from a painting, 1823, by Sir George Hayter

BRITISH CARTOON, 1789. --Affairs. The sweet prospect behind us, or The outs in office. Etching and aquatint cartoon by William Dent, 1789

RELIGIOUS DISSENTERS, 1843. Battle of the Alphabet. An English cartoon of 1843 commenting on the negative reaction of dissenting churches to the educational provisions in the Factory Bill then before

ALEXANDER GILLON (1741-1794). American (Dutch-born) merchant, naval officer, and representative of South Carolina. Oil painting, 18th century

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"Peruke: A Timeless Symbol of Style and Status" In the bustling streets of London, a trade card proudly displays the name William Johnson, Wig Maker. The peruke, or wig, has long been associated with elegance and sophistication. From Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart to Abraham Darby, notable figures throughout history have donned these elaborate hairpieces. The posthumous oil painting of Mozart captures his genius and charm, with his powdered peruke adding an air of refinement to his image. Meanwhile, Darby's iron forge represents the industrial revolution that transformed society – even amidst the sparks and heat, he maintained a dignified appearance in his peruke. Across the Atlantic Ocean in America, Thomas Mifflin stands as a testament to both military prowess and political acumen. His neatly styled peruke reflects not only personal grooming but also societal expectations during this era. Not all stories surrounding wigs are ones of prestige; some delve into darker realms. The duel between Captain John Tollemache and Captain Pennington highlights how appearances could be deceiving – beneath their fashionable perukes lay simmering conflicts. Moving beyond individuals' portraits lies an aquatint depicting William Bradford's courtroom scene. Lawyers adorned in their finest attire – including meticulously crafted wigs – present themselves as paragons of justice. But it is not just public figures who embraced this fashion trend; entertainers like Isaac Fawkes used their skills to captivate audiences while wearing flamboyant perukes. These performers added an element of mystique to their acts through illusions such as Fawkes' bag trick. Looking back further into musical history reveals George Frederick Handel and Johann Sebastian Bach sporting intricately styled wigs while composing timeless masterpieces. Their penchants for perfection extended from music notes to every strand on their heads. Beyond famous personalities lie everyday people captured by artists like John Opie in "The Gullett Family.