- 358
A Tortoiseshell Box set with a Portrait Miniature of Catherine the Great, circa 1800
Estimate
7,000 - 9,000 USD
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Description
- the miniature signed A. R. f. at lower right
- Tortoiseshell, gilt metal, gouache
- Length 3 3/8 in.
- 8.6 cm
the empress depicted wearing an ermine collar and the diamond-studded Chain of the Order of St. Andrew with a small diamond-set crown and laurel wreath in her powdered hair
Provenance
Sotheby Parke Bernet Monaco, June 25-26, 1976, lot 446
Condition
The miniature with some small areas of restoration almost entirely on the background to the right of the sitter's head. The box in overall good condition.
In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective qualified opinion.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE.
In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective qualified opinion.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE.
Catalogue Note
The miniature on this box is based primarily on Alexander Roslin's 1776 portrait of the empress now in the State Hermitage Museum. The state ordered numerous copies of this important allegorical portrait and it would have been well known to members of Russia's nobility. While the miniaturist has not been identified, the skill with which Catherine was represented suggests that the painter had access to the original canvases or one of the early parade portraits created after it.