Natale Schiavoni, Portrait Of A Gentleman In A Blue Coat

Natale Schiavoni, Portrait Of A Gentleman In A Blue Coat

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.

Medium
Watercolour on ivory
Size
3¾” x 3¾” / 9.5cm x 9.5cm (2¼" x 2¼" / 5.5cm x 5.5cm)
Year of creation
c. 1820
Provenance
Private collection, England
Condition
Artwork in good overall condition with no issues. Frame with age-related wear. The flecks on the image are light reflecting off the glass.
Artist’s auction highlight
For miniatures - £2,600 achieved at Christie’s, UK, in 2006 for ‘Officer wearing Spectacles in gold-embroidered blue Uniform’. For larger works - £30,534 achieved in Stockholm for ‘Odalisk i röd interiör’.

Conservation & History

We care profoundly about our role as custodians and every piece in the collection has been assessed by our conservator. When required, we undertake professional restoration carefully using reversible techniques and adopt a light touch to retain the aged charm of each work. We also often restore frames rather than replace them as many are original and selected by the artists themselves.

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