Antique Miniature Portrait of Woman in White Turban in Front of Blue Wallpaper And a Face I cannot Forget

THE STORY - Well of course it was all about that face and the attitude emitting from it, I was spellbound and I just couldn't leave her. The miniature painted with what looks like watercolour on paper would I believe date to the early 1800s, circa 1820 and sits in what I think is its original simple ebonised wooden frame with gilt slip. I love the way she sits in front of what looks like a blue wallpapered background. She wears a white turban and an extremely high collared top with evidence of a black shawl around her shoulders. Her tight golden curls escape from her turban framing her face and her dark eyes look intently at your with her mouth firmly set. For me there is almost an impressionistic feeling to the painting of this portrait, and I struggle to call its style naive. This to me is a very thoughtful portrait but it is not fine and it certainly is not delicate, and I think it is all the more powerful because of that. The portrait is neither signed or dated and I have not opened up the back to see if there is any verso on the back, but I wouldn't be at all surprised if there was some text there it wasn't in English.

AGE - Circa 1820

CONDITION - Both the portrait and the frame are in good condition. I do think the colours of the painting have faded slightly with age indeed only one side of the blue background has detail upon it. There is also a little round mark on the front of her top which can best be seen in the sixth photo. The frame too is in good condition although obviously there are gentle signs of wear which I have to say I love with the wood revealing itself through the paint. The frame has a small ring from which to hang it from which looks like the original one. A new backing paper has been put on at some point although this does have some tears to it which I hope you can see from the seventh photo. And I should point out that in the final photo, the easel it sits on and the dogs surrounding it are props only and are not for sale.

DIMENSIONS (Approx) - Framed - Height 6" / 15cm, Width 5" / 12.5cm, Depth 3/4" / 2cm. Image Size - Height 3&1/2" / 9cm, Width 2&3/8" / 6cm

Since acquiring this little portrait I have found myself many a time pondering who she could be, and who painted her, for me there is something quite regal about her, but the style of the painting does not reflect that, one would expect it to be classical and fine on ivory not on paper and certainly not of the impressionistic quality of this portrait. But I think it is exactly that impressionistic quality that gives the portrait such an intense and powerful quality, with a touch of arrogance maybe in the face of the sitter. But for me this mixture is what gives this little portrait its beauty and I really do find it beautiful.