A very distinguished gentleman whose identity has been lost to time, this portrait miniature and its original frame and slightly convex cover glass date to last half of 1700s, likely c.1770s based on fashion. A superb small painting, his face is only 5/8" and yet has so much detail he comes alive in that small space. I find no artist's signature and we do not have ID of the gentleman. The French frame is brass but has a thin cast ornate face adhered to the front which does test 18k - not gold plated, but cast gold. We've seen this on many from his era, particularly on snuff box portraits. Full measurements noted on our photos.
Very good to excellent condition for age and type, the frame and cover glass are both original and complete. You can see in enlarged detail how the 18k gold plaque is attached to the oval frame's face. The painting is remarkable, and only removing it from its frame does one notice a 1/2" hairline from edge to top of his head (see photo). There are a few dust dots which really caught the light and show as white dots. Frame's 18k facing is undamaged.
