7 - French School, circa 1785.

French School, circa 1785. A young woman wearing a blue hat with blue feathers and a blue ribbon, expressing her “maternal love” in a letter, seated in a three-quarter view to the right on a blue sofa, wearing a white dress, a blue sash, and a brown and red shawl. Miniature on ivory (Elephantidae spp*) Diameter: approx. 7 cm (visible dimensions). In a lamp-shaped frame edged with a blue enamel border, forming an easel. (Minor losses of gilding on the frame.) Diameter: 8.5 cm. Rare in subject matter, this miniature attests to the shift in attitudes among the affluent classes at the end of the 18th century, reflecting a strong maternal bond with her child: maternal love is depicted in art through the proliferation of portraits of mothers with their children. Here, it is a letter that carries the message to the beloved from whom the mother is separated and for whom she had this miniature painted. * Note (//): A CITES certificate will be issued to the purchaser, allowing for free movement within the EU. Expert: Nathalie Lemoine-Bouchard