(b 1751-2; d New York, 26 Feb 1811). He was active in Bristol, Liverpool and Bath before he went to the USA with his family, which consisted of his third wife, Ellen, n?e Wallace (1769-1849), and children, Felix Thomas Sharples (c. 1786-after 1823), son of his second wife, James Sharples jr (c. 1788-1839) and (2) Rolinda Sharples. From 1796 to 1801 he worked mainly in Philadelphia and New York, making profile and three-quarter bust-size pastel portraits, which measured about 230*180 mm. He may have used a mechanical drawing aid. His pastels were drawn with a delicate, precise touch, using predominantly black, white, grey and flesh tones with blue backgrounds. He produced vivid images of many American and English sitters, including George Washington, John Adams, James and Dolley Madison, and Joseph Priestley. Other members of the family duplicated his portraits, making it difficult to distinguish the originals. The family returned to Bath in 1801, but soon went back to the USA, Felix and James jr in 1806, and their parents and sister Rolinda in 1809. After James Sharples's death, all but Felix returned to England. Felix's later portraits are notable for his preference for full-face and three-quarter views and a broader technique than his father's.
Part of the Sharples family
See the Abbreviations for further details.
