An exquisite early 19th-century portrait miniature depicting a young gentleman in his fashionable fineries. When viewed under magnification, the details are breathtaking - from the tiny flecks of light on each eye through to the delicate outline around the gentleman’s mouth.

Natale Schiavoni (1777-1858) was considered to be one of the greatest portrait miniaturists of his generation. He spent the early part of his career active in Venice and Florence before heading to Vienna, where he worked as a court painter for Emperor Franz I.

He returned to Venice in 1821 where he became a Professor at the Academy of Fine Arts and lived at the illustrious Palazzo Giustinian on the canal.

Miniatures by this artist rarely surface as most are held within private collections. His works have been exhibited at the National Gallery of Berlin, the British Museum in London, and the Vienna Museum.

The portrait is signed ‘N. Schiavoni’ in the lower right.