19th century Spanish miniature.
"Female portrait.
Gouache.
Signed AN and dated.
Tabletop frame in gilt silver.
Measurements: 8,5 x 5 cm; 6,5 x 5,8 cm.
A lady poses of rigorous profile for the spectator. Her pinkish flesh tones and pale complexion reinforce the delicacy of the piece, determined by the pastel tones and the careful workmanship of the miniature technique. She is a young woman of high social standing, as the pearl necklace and the heart-shaped pendant of diamonds around her neck suggest.
From the Renaissance onwards, miniature portraits were pieces for private contemplation. Considered as jewellery, in the 17th century they became pieces of personal adornment or a gift, when they were mounted as jewellery. They were executed in a wide variety of techniques, such as oil on copper, pewter or ivory, gouaches on parchment or card and, from the 18th century, watercolour on ivory. This delicate art was gradually lost from the second half of the 19th century onwards, in parallel with the development of photography. The most common type of work in the 19th century was historicist representations, often set in the preceding century.