An incredibly beautiful young woman, c.1815-25, give or take 5 years. She wears a tiara back on her head, a lacy fichu across her bodice and a brilliant red dress. Red, worn in this era, could have been a statement of loyalty to the Royals, and the timing would be right as Napoleon's defeats found him exiled to Elba and the Restauration period bringing back lineage royalty. The red was sometimes a gown, sometimes a scarf or just a sash draped at the neck or shoulders, and it signified sympathy to those who were guillotined during The Terror. French history is so interesting, and the culture so tied to traditions and symbols. That aside, she is hauntingly beautiful and so beautifully captured in what would have been a fairly large portrait in its time. The frame is interesting, as well, with a very unusual brass mat in canted corner octagon and decorated in stars. The old convex and highly polished cover glass remains in place and is clean and undamaged. The painting is in gouache on natural wafer, typical of the genre. One interesting point, the painting has a small addition to the bottom. No, not a break, as it runs against the natural grain and would definitely not break in that way, in that direction. The artist or someone else would have added and painted to match, that bottom 5% or so.
Very good to excellent condition for age and type, and, having noted the unusual added section on bottom, there are no breaks nor damage to the painting - just the extension of it. Frame and mat and original cover glass are all in excellent condition, as well. Over 200 years old, we have a glimpse of her and nothing more. No signature, no identification and no story to tell other than the image, itself. The lady in red. Full measurements are noted on the photos.
