May 2006 - Additions

Additions in May 2006 included two French portraits and one American portrait.

One French one is of a young girl very similar to the work of Fragonard, although it has not been possible to make a firm attribution.

Later advice from a kind visitor to the site is that it is more likely to be a badly retouched miniature by Rosalba Carriera, who was one of the very artists to paint miniatures on ivory. Thus, even if retouched, it is quite a rarity.

A second miniature of a young lady, and painted around 1850, is signed by Francois Lafond who was active for much of the 19C.

The American portrait of two children is quite large for a miniature at 110 mm x 90 mm. It is unsigned and the sitters are unknown. Although it was acquired in the New York area, the packing inside the frame includes part of a San Francisco newspaper from January 11, 1861. It is thought to be by Thomas Story Officer who worked in San Francisco, for more detail see Officer, Thomas Story - portrait of two children