One immediately notices the glow from the face of this distinguished gentleman and the crisp white of his collar and cravat. Once opened to clean the cover glass ahead of photos, I could easily find the reason why. This one still has the thin layer of silver (foil) which is attached to the back of the wafer, and still reflects through the very thin wafer as a mirror reflects light. So the face takes on a more lifelike skin tone, and also draws the eye. That foil is missing from most portrait miniatures. This one still was sealed to its cover glass with that thin material you see on backside, therefore the foil remained within, too. That said, a superb and handsome man in his seniority, perhaps much younger than we'd guess, and the artist has captured him beautifully yet has not left a signature. Look, though, at the eyes. That face is only 5/8", chin to hairline, and yet his artist caught a lively glint of light on his eyes, as well as his elegance. Full measurements noted on photos.
Very good to excellent condition, again - all of our collections are hand chosen, an art history education and vocation of 5 decades shows in my choices, I think, and if it made it into my collection, you know the work is exceptional. As you can see, the very thin wafer is excellent, and the painting has not flaked. I always hesitate to even blow (let alone brush) away any impossibly tiny dust particles, but the digital photos and photography lamps always seem to capture whatever there might be even though invisible to the eye. The wooden frame is typical of the era, and while it shows age, it is not damaged nor chipped, cracked. Brass mount and original convex cover glass, again, no damage. Superb painting!
