An Early 19thC French Portrait of a Young Girl, in a Near Contemporary Moulded Gilt Frame

Origin: French School
Period: Nineteenth Century
Provenance: Unknown
Date: c.1820
Canvas Width: 15 inches
Canvas Height: 18 inches
Overall Width with Frame: 22 inches
Overall Height with Frame: 25 inches

A delicately executed and charming oil painting, the girl depicted quarter length, wearing a simple lace bonnet and brown woollen shawl. She has a soft rose complexion, and her wide eyes and long gaze give her a lovely and innocent, albeit slightly pensive, expression. Her uncomplicated costume suggests she may be the daughter of a provincial family, perhaps a farmer or a merchant.

The surface of the painting has a level of craquelere, but in no way does this detract from the painting, it is a natural sign of age, and is often artificially induced on paintings to make them appear aged. The varnish on the painting is not yellowed, and the painting is clean, suggesting it has been professionally cleaned, probably sometime in the last 50 years. It ought to be noted that there is a very small (approximately 1/2 cm) area of loss just below the hairline.The canvas verso has 9 small canvas repairs, though these are invisible when viewed from the recto.

It bears an early inkstamp '*** de l'universite no.3 ***de Moyon, tableaux et dessins de l'ecole moderne Paris', indicating that the painting was completed at the Moyon school, Paris. The lovely frame has a boletto sight, a plain hollow, and elaborate acanthus leaf corners. Of a similar date to the painting, the frame certainly adds further charm to the painting. Whether for a seasoned picture collector, or a first time fine art purchase, this lovely little lady must surely be a welcome sight on anyone's wall.