A bared bodice revealing pert nipples, this beautiful young woman may very well have been some Nobleman's mistress, or she might also have been a Courtier in the time of Louis XV to XVI, such as were the fashions. To our sensibilities now, this one would be a "naughty", or sensual image. The painting has, quite definitely, come from the top of a snuff box, the mounting very slender in nature, and the facing is 16k gold. Convex cover glass has protected her well, these 270 or so years. I did not open this one up to photograph her portrait without the convex cover glass, so there is a little distortion of the very clear painting owning to the glass. In hand, she is superb! The feather headpiece she wears is as interesting as her powdered hair and helps us date her accurately. From my own collections.
Very good to excellent condition for age and type. As you can see, a small section of the 16k gold facing has been lost to time. When I found her, the gold facing had been bent back, so you see some crimping along it, remnants of that having happened, though I've worked to straighten it out. She ought to be mounted again to a period snuff box which has lost its portrait - perhaps one in Vernis Martin, such is her era. I'll offer her this way, until and unless I happen to locate a perfect snuff to remount her as she ought to be. Such a charming image!
