This miniature portrait is unusually symbolic for a miniature, also in being three-quarter length. It is unsigned, although there are indistinct marks at the lower left, which might be intended as initials.
It is most probably French from the mid 19C, although there is a faint possibility that it might be American. The unknown girl is standing in a cemetery with a gravestone behind her and is holding a dying rose.
When looked at closely, a petal can be seen below her elbow on the left and which has obviously just fallen from the rose in her hand. A church spire is on the extreme left. Together with her black dress, it all comes together as a powerful mourning portrait.
Also showing is the image taken through the glass. Glass is necessary to protect such a delicate object, but the definition is lost and so difficult to recognise the skill of the artist, particularly with respect to the face of the girl, and whose skill is well above average for the period. 995
2 comments:
I see that the portrait has been signed, but I can not see the image clearly.
What letter is there ? Does each letter has a colon? For example , like this:
X: Y: Z:
Thank you for the comment. I have now added a better image of the portrait, but I am not confident that the marks on the lower left can be recognised as any letters of the alphabet. For example, if anything, the first mark looks like a reversed "C".
Post a Comment