"Mlle (Mademmoiselle) Mange of Geneva, friend of __egue __farque" in handwritten note on the back card covering behind this stunning portrait. Some of it lost or perhaps even scratched out to obscure the person with whom a friendship was once had, then lost. The painting is exquisite! One of the finest portraits in miniature. Her face is 1" from chin to her hairline, and is rich with detail and the beauty of youth. She wears a French Empire tiara set with seed pearls, very popular in Napoleon era and shortly afterward. An Empire gown, also, but with modest and diaphanous white bodice and ruffled collar which frames her face beautifully. Full measurements are noted on the photos.
Very good to excellent condition for age and type, I see not a single tiny flaw to note on this elegant painting. Likewise, the convex cover glass and wood frame remain unscathed by time. She presents beautifully, as if she was someone very loved. My romantic notion from the scratched out name of her 'friend' would have her as the love lost by that young man. Perhaps the painting was a gift, then returned and kept within her family. She was found in France.
