French miniature from the end of the 18th century

Late 18th century French miniature.
"Portrait of a gentleman.
Gouache on vellum
Brass frame.
Size: 4.7 cm (diameter); 5.7 cm (frame diameter).
Miniature portraits developed in Europe from the 16th century onwards. They consisted of small paintings fitted into objects such as medallions, table clocks or small boxes. The frame of these portraits was usually oval or circular. They were executed in a wide variety of techniques, such as oil on copper, pewter or ivory, gouaches on parchment or cardboard and, from the 18th century, watercolour on ivory. This delicate art was gradually lost from the second half of the 19th century, in parallel with the development of photography.