Antique Miniature Portrait French Napoleon’s Son~The Eaglet

Antiques : Accessories : Miniature Portrait

 

A late 19th. C. oval miniature portrait set in a frame with oval glass and brass trim.

A mix of crisp military uniform and romantic blue eyes, the young prince makes a striking subject. He was but for a brief time the Second Emperor of the French. He was born in Paris to Emperor Napoleon Bonaparte and Marie Louis of Austria (Napoleon’s second wife). His other titles include The King of Rome, and Duke of Reichstadt. He is often referred to as l’Aiglon or the Eaglet. After Napoléon’s downfall, his son was taken back to the court of his grandfather, Francis II, in Vienna. Although he hoped to return to France, he was to die of tuberculosis in July 1832 at the age of 21.

The artist that first comes to mind with young Eaglet is Daffinger and his name is on the paper label on the back. The painter, Louis Léopold Boilly, also did an ink on paper portrait after Daffinger. I feel this miniature aligns more with Boilly’s portrait. The portrait most likely was created for the ever growing tourist trade in the Grand Tour tradition.

The eyes are expressive and the curls carefully painted on celluloid.

Measurements; frame 6 1/4" X 5 1/4", actual portrait, 3 1/2" X 2 1/2" Condition: good, some wear of stain on wood corners, slight bend in brass trim which has aged to deep color. The back of the portrait was sealed; I did open it to verify the medium used for the portrait.

Item ID: 2080047