During the 19th century, wealthy travelers explored the great cities of Europe, often young women with a mother or grandmother to expand her cultural education and sophistication, or perhaps as a young bride on honeymoon. French artists were on hand to do portraits of fine quality of these travelers, and this is what you see before you. Her fashions say she's English or American, perhaps, and somewhere between 1890-1915. Not many sat for portraits by that era, so examples are not plentiful and photography had overtaken the genre for the most part. A pretty young woman, quite bored with sitting so long, very slightly pouting look in those beautifully captured eyes. The face on this portrait is just 5/8", chin to hairline, which is astonishing when you see that we can so greatly enlarge the painting and it still displays such rich detail. Framed nicely in a wooden French frame, flat cover glass.
Very good to excellent condition for age and type, the painting is just magnificent, very nicely preserved and is without warp or damage. The old foil which often backed these portraits remains with it. That was to reflect light back through the wafer and brighten the skin and highlights of the painting. The one flaw to note is that the wooden frame shows a clean and repaired break - a touch up of black would cover it better, but I've left it so you can see and review. It is at the 12 o'clock and 6 o'clock position, and is sturdy, stable and well-repaired. I can touch it with black which would make it virtually disappear if our buyer wishes it done before shipping. Please ask if you do, though.
