This fine mid-19th-century German miniature depicts a woman wearing a black dress and a beautiful white and lilac day cap.

Produced around 1840, this exquisite piece on porcelain is a masterful demonstration of delicate brushwork. On close inspection, the details are extraordinary and it’s evidently the work of an experienced and much sought-after hand.

Both her demure expression and understated outfit convey the spirit of the late Romantic era, which championed modesty, humility and reticence. Women were portrayed as passive damsels with ornamental bell-shaped silhouettes and exceedingly polite opinions.

Here, the young lady wears a day cap, which sits back on the head. These were commonly worn indoors, while full bonnets were adopted when venturing outside.

On the reverse, two dates appear to refer to the sitter’s date of birth and death but, alas, no trace could be found in the ancestry records.

Held in a beautiful swept period frame decorated with foliate, which is probably original.

Medium: Polychrome on porcelain
Overall size: 8½” x 9½” / 22cm x 24cm
Year of creation: c. 1840
Labels & Inscriptions: Dates inscribed on the reverse.
Condition: Cleaned. Frame with various marks and showing its age.
Our reference: BRV1968