The Cleveland Museum of Art

Collection Online as of April 23, 2024

Portrait of a Woman

Portrait of a Woman

c. 1670
(Swiss, 1607–1691)
France, 17th century
enamel in a silver gilt frame
Framed: 2.9 x 2.2 cm (1 1/8 x 7/8 in.); Unframed: 2.3 x 2.1 cm (7/8 x 13/16 in.)
The Edward B. Greene Collection 1942.1152
Location: not on view

Description

Unlike fragile portrait miniatures painted in watercolor on vellum or ivory, which are prone to cracking, fading, and flaking, enamels are resilient, impervious to the effects of light, and retain their striking original colors over time. Partly for this reason enamel was considered ideal for reproducing famous paintings and treasured portraits in a reduced and luminous form. The complicated and labor-intensive process of enameling required the artist to fire numerous layers of colored metal oxide at different temperatures, which made it difficult to produce a faithful portrait likeness, though masters of the medium were able create portraits of remarkable subtlety imbued with the sitter's personality. The heyday of enamel painting was the late 1600s and early 1700s. Among the enamel specialists was Petitot, who was patronized by King Charles I of England, King Louis XIV of France, and King John III Sobieski of Poland.
  • Cleveland Museum of Art, and Edward Belden Greene. Portrait Miniatures ; The Edward B. Greene Collection. 1951. Mentioned: p. 36, cat. 75, p. 20; Reproduced: plate XXVI archive.org
  • Disembodied: Portrait Minatures and their Contemporary Relatives. The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (organizer) (November 10, 2013-February 16, 2014).
    Main European Rotation (Gallery 202), July 23, 2013 - May 20, 2014.
    Main European Rotation (Gallery 202), January 30, 2012 - July 23, 2012. Verso on display.
    Main Gallery Rotation (Gallery 202): June 20, 2008 - September 22, 2008.
    Intimate Images: Portrait Miniatures from Europe and America. The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (organizer) (March 26-October 17, 1993).
  • {{cite web|title=Portrait of a Woman|url=false|author=Jean Petitot|year=c. 1670|access-date=23 April 2024|publisher=Cleveland Museum of Art}}

Source URL:

https://www.clevelandart.org/art/1942.1152