Lot 142

French School Miniature Portraits, Artist-Signed, Attributed to Be Marie Antoinette & Georgiana Cavendish, With Exceedingly Rare Thermoplastic Frames

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French School Miniature Portraits, Artist-Signed, Attributed to Be Marie Antoinette & Georgiana Cavendish, With Exceedingly Rare Thermoplastic Frames

Estimate: $1,500 - $2,000

Starting Bid: $500

(0 Bids)

June 17, 2026 10:00 AM EDT
Live Auction
Wilton, CT, US

Description:

Late 19th/20th C. Notable Women
French School, ca. 19th/20th C.
French School Miniature Portraits, Artist-Signed, Attributed to Be Marie Antoinette & Georgiana Cavendish, With Exceedingly Rare Thermoplastic Frames
Signed artwork

A pair of exquisite French School miniature portraits depicting two elegantly dressed women in historical costume, attributed to be French queen Marie Antoinette, and Regency-period social influencer Georgiana Cavendish, Duchess of Devonshire. N.d. but ca. late 19th to early 20th C. [France.] Applied watercolor or tempera on an organic mount. Both are artist-signed. The portraits are displayed in exceedingly rare Chinoiseries style matching thermoplastic frames featuring ebonized bamboo-form decoration, rich chocolate plush inner mats, and brass oval-shaped inner frames. Displayed under glass, one flat, and the other slightly convex; not examined out of the frames. Both frames are fitted for hanging. Expected wear including negligible scuffs to the frames, and isolated loss to the plush. Individual condition issues will be elaborated below. Else very good. The sight size of the miniature portraits is approximately 2.75" x 3.75" while the frames measure about 7.125" x 9.875" x .75."

A note on the frames: Paul K. Berg, an authority on 19th C. cases and picture frames, reviewed these thermoplastic frames and stated that he had never seen anything like them. He has plans to add pictures of these frames to his next publication. For information about Paul K. Berg, please see his landmark work, "Nineteenth Century Photographic Cases and Wall Frames" (2003)].

The pair includes:

1. A miniature portrait attributed to be Marie Antoinette, signed as "Delseuy" (?) along the rim at lower right. Showing a woman in Louis XVI style clothing, complete with a rose-garlanded powdered wig. Especially fine details in the treatment of the face, individual curls, flowers, ribbons, and fabrics.

2. A miniature portrait attributed to be Georgiana Cavendish, signed as "Menyau" along the rim at lower right. The portrait shows an aristocratic woman in Georgian dress wearing a black hat, with a spray of wildflowers adorning her fichu. Isolated paint flaking to the hair and hat brim. Minor checking to the frame verso, with a later picture backing.

This item comes with a Certificate from John Reznikoff, a premier authenticator for both major 3rd party authentication services, PSA and JSA (James Spence Authentications), as well as numerous auction houses.

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  • Dimensions: frames: 7.125" x 9.875" x .75"
  • Medium: Signed artwork

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Bid Increments
From: To: Increments:
$0 $99 $10
$100 $299 $20
$300 $499 $25
$500 $999 $50
$1,000 $1,999 $100
$2,000 $2,999 $200
$3,000 $4,999 $250
$5,000 $9,999 $500
$10,000 $19,999 $1,000
$20,000 $49,999 $2,500
$50,000 + $5,000