Exquisite Antique Portrait Miniature, Painting on Ivory - Pristine! 1880 - 1900

Fine Art : Paintings : Miniature Paintings, Grand Tour

 

Here is an exceptionally fine artist's hand painted portrait of a very distinguished gentleman of note, very handsome in his 1880 - 1900 formal attire. Look at the detail of this painting! You can see his tufting white hair on top; his eyelashes; his tailored suit and white bow tie; his stunning character and a hint of his well-appointed lifestyle, this portrait is so finely done. In a time when many were taking their portraiture to photographers, these commissioned personal portraits were extremely rare, and certainly did not come without great expense. We do not know who this gentleman is, but he has a look of those Southern gentlemen of the era, don't you agree? A spectacular pose, in distinguished semi-profile, this one is not only a museum quality painting in miniature, it is also a glimpse into the highest of fashion for 1900's century to launch itself in. Stunning, don't you agree? And a must have for the serious portrait miniature collector, siimply for its relative rarity. Only the very wealthy were still sitting for miniatures at the turn of the century, remember. And only the most accomplished portraitists were still employed by this time, having lost out on their profession to the invention and proliferation of modern photography beginning in 1838 with the daguerreotpye. Convex glass protects it, and the piece will fit nicely in with your own family photos and earlier miniature paintings, should you wish to adopt this distinguished gentleman as an instant ancestor - your beloved great-great-great Uncle Festus, you say?

Excellent condition! No problems with the portrait itself, on thin ivory wafer (yes, I took it out to be sure it was not a hand tinted photograph, it was so lifelike). The frame is also just fine, looks to have been hand made; has lost a tab or two on backside, but is holding firm as shown. A superb piece - certainly rivals those we sold recently for near and over $2,000.

Item ID: 606pmman