Antique French Hand-Painted Portrait Miniature on Ivory
Circa 1850–1880 | Gilded Rococo Frame
A beautifully detailed hand-painted portrait miniature of a young aristocratic woman, executed with remarkable finesse on a thin wafer of ivory—an exquisite example of 19th-century French miniature painting. The sitter is portrayed in half-length profile, dressed in mourning black with delicate gold and pearl jewelry, including a sentimental locket and bar pin. Her hair is adorned with a pearl diadem, suggesting nobility or a fashionable reference to the Bourbon restoration period.
The portrait is set under glass in a richly carved and gilded Rococo-style wood frame with velvet matting and a gold-toned inner slip, highlighting the sophistication of both subject and presentation. The verso is lined in a silk moiré with an easel backing—likely added in the early 20th century for display.
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🕰️ Historical Context:
Portrait miniatures like this were popular in France and Austria throughout the 18th and 19th centuries, often commissioned to mark courtship, marriage, mourning, or to honor social status. This work likely dates from the Second Empire to early Third Republic era (c. 1850–1880), a time when such miniatures were still treasured as keepsakes despite the rise of photography.
The high level of detail—especially in the jewelry, facial modeling, and hair—is consistent with the work of Parisian miniaturists trained in the academic tradition, sometimes influenced by artists like Jean-Baptiste Isabey or his pupils.
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📏 Details:
• Medium: Watercolor on ivory, under glass
• Frame: Carved and gilded wood, later silk-backed easel mount
• Condition: Excellent with light age-related toning to ivory; backing and silk in very good condition
Miniatures of this scale and detail—especially painted on genuine ivory—continue to appreciate among collectors of portraiture, Grand Tour souvenirs, and French decorative arts.
Antique French Hand-Painted Portrait Miniature on Ivory
Circa 1850–1880 | Gilded Rococo Frame
A beautifully detailed hand-painted portrait miniature of a young aristocratic woman, executed with remarkable finesse on a thin wafer of ivory—an exquisite example of 19th-century French miniature painting. The sitter is portrayed in half-length profile, dressed in mourning black with delicate gold and pearl jewelry, including a sentimental locket and bar pin. Her hair is adorned with a pearl diadem, suggesting nobility or a fashionable reference to the Bourbon restoration period.
The portrait is set under glass in a richly carved and gilded Rococo-style wood frame with velvet matting and a gold-toned inner slip, highlighting the sophistication of both subject and presentation. The verso is lined in a silk moiré with an easel backing—likely added in the early 20th century for display.
⸻
🕰️ Historical Context:
Portrait miniatures like this were popular in France and Austria throughout the 18th and 19th centuries, often commissioned to mark courtship, marriage, mourning, or to honor social status. This work likely dates from the Second Empire to early Third Republic era (c. 1850–1880), a time when such miniatures were still treasured as keepsakes despite the rise of photography.
The high level of detail—especially in the jewelry, facial modeling, and hair—is consistent with the work of Parisian miniaturists trained in the academic tradition, sometimes influenced by artists like Jean-Baptiste Isabey or his pupils.
⸻
📏 Details:
• Medium: Watercolor on ivory, under glass
• Frame: Carved and gilded wood, later silk-backed easel mount
• Condition: Excellent with light age-related toning to ivory; backing and silk in very good condition
Miniatures of this scale and detail—especially painted on genuine ivory—continue to appreciate among collectors of portraiture, Grand Tour souvenirs, and French decorative arts.