French miniature from the end of the 18th century.

Late 18th century French miniature.
"Portrait of a lady.
Gouache on vellum.
Size: 6 cm (diameter); 7.7 cm (frame diameter).
A young woman of high social class poses deliberately for the painter. She turns her body in a dynamic attitude while she is smiling half-smiling. Her hair is tied back in a pearl barrette, the same pearls that are repeated in the necklace. The lace of her dress and the velvety character of the dress speak of the young woman's wealth.
Miniature painting, especially portrait painting, developed in Europe from the 16th century onwards. They were mainly paintings that were embedded in objects such as medallions, table clocks or small boxes. They were executed in a wide variety of techniques, such as oil on copper, pewter or ivory, gouaches on parchment or card 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.