Antique French Miniature Portrait in Fine Dore Bronze Frame - Mme de Montesson
Mme. de Montesson, the lovely young woman subject of our early to mid-1800s hand painted miniature portrait offered here, was the mistress of Duc d'Orleans, Louis-Philippe d'Orleans. The painting is styled after, I believe, a c.1760 painting of her by Guillaume VOIRIOT, which was called "Femme a' sa Toilette". I've included a couple of views of Mme de Montesson, the combination of which may have been the source. She wears the same outfit and holds a book in this painting as she wore for M. Voiriot's painting, though her post is not the same. For those who collect French historical figures in their own portrait gallery, she's a must have. The painting is nicely accomplished and as you can see from our images, on a thin natural wafer that still has the old original vellum backing, though it's no longer adhered to the wafer. The painting is lovely, pensively posed, she seems to be contemplating the words in the book or letter, certainly one from her lover, the Duc d'Orleans. Duc d'Orleans