Portrait of a Lady - Miniature from the 17th century French school

Oil on copper
In keeping with the conventions of portraiture prevalent in the 17th and 18th centuries, our beautiful young woman is portrayed three-quarter-face. She sports the famous “Fontanges” hairstyle and is lightly clad in a lace-trimmed shirt with a wide neckline.
There were many miniature painters in these times, but few have gone down in history: “The world of miniature painting encompasses an infinite variety of small-scale objects, scale models, illuminated manuscripts and delicately painted works in miniature. Who were the miniature painters? Behind the nebula of anonymous craftsmen, with the discretion of goldsmiths and amateurs of little stature, there are so many talented artists to be rediscovered...”. Among them is Jean-Louis Petitot (1653 - 1702), who may be the author of this painted medallion.

The portrait is presented under glass in a gilded bronze medallion.
Dimensions: 7.8 x 6.3 cm - 9.2 x 7.9 cm with frame

Reference book: Lemoine-Bouchard Nathalie, Les peintres en miniature actifs en France, 1650-1850, Editions de l'Amateur, 2008