A refined and high-quality English portrait miniature from the Georgian period, dating to circa 1790, painted by the British miniature painter Joseph Daniel (c. 1760–1803). The work depicts a young lady with abundant brown hair, delicate facial features and an elegant, dignified appearance. She wears a light-coloured dress decorated with small floral motifs in golden tones, against a soft, muted brown background. The miniature was executed in watercolours on a natural substrate and is set in an oval gold frame, which originally served, according to the sale description, as part of a bracelet of the Bracelet Slide type. The reverse and edges of the frame are decorated with delicate and meticulous engraving. **The work was sold at Bonhams auction house in London on 21 November 2007, as Lot 167, and has important historical sale documentation.** The combination of the quality of the painting, the attribution to Joseph Daniel, the decorated gold frame and the sale documentation at Bonhams gives the miniature particular artistic, historical, jewellery and collectible interest. Description of the Portrait The lady is depicted half-length, with her shoulders turned slightly to one side and her face directed almost straight towards the viewer, in a three-quarter view. Her face has a delicate, elongated oval shape, fair skin in warm shades of cream, peach-pink and light brown, greyish-brown eyes and thin, carefully shaped eyebrows. Her forehead is relatively broad, her nose straight and delicate, her lips small and slightly full, and her expression calm, restrained and contemplative. Her direct gaze gives the figure a personal presence, while the soft treatment of the facial features creates a sense of intimacy. The cheeks are illuminated in delicate pinkish tones, while the areas around the eyes, nose and chin are depicted through graduated shading. The treatment of the neck and chest area is characterised by soft colour transitions, creating a sense of volume and emphasising the light skin tones. The portrait presents a young lady of elegant appearance, without prominent jewellery or explicit symbols of status. The Hair and Hairstyle The lady's hair is dark brown, with warm shades of chestnut brown, golden brown and muted brown. The hair is arranged in a relatively high and elaborate hairstyle, with volume at the top of the head. At the top, a rounded and raised lock of hair is visible, blending into the overall structure of the hairstyle. At the sides of the head, the hair expands into soft masses, while around the nape of the neck and shoulders, curly locks can be seen falling downwards. The hairstyle creates a dark frame around the fair face and emphasises the oval shape of the head. This style reflects characteristics of British women's fashion in the late eighteenth century, when voluminous hairstyles, curls and hair arranged high on the head were common among women of the affluent classes. The Light-Coloured Dress and Floral Decorations The lady wears a light-coloured dress in shades of cream, greyish-white and light brown. The garment opens around the neck and chest, revealing a relatively wide neckline characteristic of women's fashion in the late eighteenth century. The fabric is depicted through transparent layers of colour and delicate shading, creating the impression of a light and soft textile. Soft folds of fabric are visible around the shoulders and chest, blending into the overall composition. Small floral decorations in golden-yellowish tones appear across the dress. The flowers are spaced relatively widely apart and give the garment a delicate decorative character. The combination of the light fabric tones and golden decorations creates restrained and harmonious colouring. The Background and Artistic Composition The background is rendered in warm shades of greyish-brown, golden brown and dark brown. Soft tonal transitions are visible around the lady's head, creating a delicate illumination around the face and hair. The relatively dark colouring of the background emphasises the light skin tones and the dress. The painting is characterised by gradual colour transitions and soft shading, creating a sense of depth and an intimate atmosphere. The oval composition focuses attention on the lady's face and hairstyle. The refined treatment of the face, hair and fabric reflects the artistic tradition of English miniature painting in the late eighteenth century. The Oval Gold Frame The miniature is set in an oval gold frame with relatively narrow edges. The frame is made of metal in a warm gold tone tending slightly towards pink. At the front, smooth and polished edges surround the painting, giving it an elegant and restrained appearance. According to the sale description, the frame originally served as part of a Bracelet Slide. Frames of this type were intended for incorporation into bracelets or personal jewellery and were sometimes converted to other uses over the years. The frame constitutes an important part of the piece, both in terms of its material value and its historical character as a personal portrait jewel. The Reverse of the Frame – Decorative Engraving The reverse of the frame presents an oval gold surface in a warm golden tone. The surface is decorated with delicate engraving, comprising repeating geometric and ornamental patterns. Along the perimeter of the reverse is an engraved decoration in a pattern of small arches and fine lines. At the centre of the reverse is another oval ornament, composed of rounded forms interwoven with one another, creating a chain-like or braided pattern. The decorations were executed using precise decorative engraving, giving the metal surface a rich texture. The engravings reflect the tradition of English goldsmithing in the eighteenth century, in which geometric patterns and delicate ornaments were incorporated into jewellery and personal objects. Joseph Daniel – The Painter and His Biographical Background Joseph Daniel (c. 1760–1803) was a British miniature painter active in the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries. He and his brother Abraham Daniel were among the Jewish miniature painters active in England during the Georgian period. According to the biographical information provided in the sale description, Joseph and his brother Abraham, together with a third brother named Phineas, who was a watchmaker by profession, received artistic instruction from their mother, who was described as a talented and resourceful woman. Joseph Daniel worked in Bath, Bristol and London, which were important centres of culture, commerce and art in England during the period. His brother Abraham Daniel worked mainly in Plymouth, although he returned to Bath from time to time. Both brothers practised portrait miniature painting, and their styles were described as similar to one another. According to biographical sources, there was also professional competition between them. Abraham Daniel and the Family Connection Abraham Daniel was also a miniature painter active in England during the Georgian period. He specialised in small portrait paintings intended to serve as personal keepsakes and family objects. The miniature painting scholar Daphne Foskett commented on the quality of Abraham Daniel's works, noting that she had seen miniatures by him of exceptional merit, justifying his inclusion among the finest miniature painters of the eighteenth century. The family and professional connection between Joseph and Abraham Daniel adds further interest to the study of their works. Historical Background – England Around 1790 Around 1790 was a period of significant changes in British society, fashion and visual culture. During the reign of George III, who ruled Britain from 1760 to 1820, a rich culture of portraiture developed among members of the aristocracy and affluent classes. Portrait miniatures were sought after by wealthy families, professionals, military officers and merchants. They served as personal keepsakes, family gifts and objects of emotional significance. The small format made it possible to carry the likeness of a loved one or preserve it in a jewellery frame. At the same time, new styles of clothing and hairstyles developed, influenced by the transition between eighteenth-century fashion and the more restrained styles of the early nineteenth century. The present miniature reflects these characteristics through the elaborate hairstyle, light-coloured dress and jewellery frame. The Art of Miniature Painting in England in the Eighteenth Century During the second half of the eighteenth century, the art of miniature painting in England reached an exceptionally high artistic standard. Among the prominent artists active in this field were Richard Cosway (1742–1821), John Smart (1741–1811), George Engleheart (1750–1829), Richard Crosse (1742–1810) and Andrew Plimer (1763–1837). These artists developed painting methods based on the use of thin layers of colour, soft shading and accurate depiction of facial features. Female portrait miniatures frequently emphasised the sitters' hairstyles, clothing and personal expressions. The portraits were set in gold, silver or gilt-metal frames and were sometimes preserved for generations as family objects. The present miniature displays these characteristics through the delicate treatment of the face, hair and details of the dress. Stylistic Context – Joseph Daniel and the English Portrait Tradition Stylistically, the miniature belongs to the English miniature painting tradition of the late eighteenth century. The soft treatment of the facial features, the abundant dark hair, the muted brown background and the light-coloured dress reflect characteristics of miniature portrait paintings of the period. The sale documentation at Bonhams provides an important source for examining the history of the work and its artistic attribution. Portrait Miniatures in Bracelets and Personal Jewellery During the eighteenth century, portrait miniatures were sometimes incorporated into jewellery frames intended to be worn. One type of frame was the Bracelet Slide, a frame that could be incorporated into a bracelet or decorative band. These frames were sometimes made of gold and decorated with engraving and ornamental patterns. They made it possible to carry the likeness of a loved one as a personal jewel of emotional significance. In some cases, such frames were converted to other uses over the years. The present frame reflects this tradition through its oval construction, the metal material, gold, and the engraving on the reverse. Sale Documentation – Bonhams, London, 2007 **The miniature was sold at Bonhams auction house in London on Wednesday, 21 November 2007, as Lot 167.** **This documentation constitutes an important detail in the history of the work and provides a point of reference for future research.** **The painter Joseph Daniel and the identification of the frame as a Bracelet Slide were stated in the sale description.** Artistic and Collectible Significance The miniature combines a high-quality female portrait dating to circa 1790, by the painter Joseph Daniel, an oval gold frame with decorative engraving, and documentation of a sale at Bonhams auction house in London in 2007. The refined treatment of the facial features, hair and details of the dress gives the figure a personal presence and pictorial quality. The decorated frame constitutes an important artistic and jewellery element, owing to the delicate engraving and its connection with the tradition of portrait jewellery. The attribution to a painter from the Daniel family adds interest to the piece in the history of English miniature painting and the study of the activities of Jewish artists in eighteenth-century Britain. The sale documentation at Bonhams gives the piece additional research and collectible significance. The combination of the painting's quality, artistic attribution, gold frame and sale documentation makes the miniature an interesting example of portrait art and personal jewellery from the Georgian period. --- **Artist:** Joseph Daniel (c. 1760–1803). **Sitter:** Unidentified young lady. **Date:** Circa 1790. **Period:** Georgian. **Country of Origin:** England. **Genre:** Female portrait miniature, half-length. **Technique:** Watercolours on natural substrate. **Dimensions:** Approximately 4.4 × 3.2 cm. **Frame:** Oval gold Bracelet Slide frame, with decorative engraving along the edges and on the reverse. **Front:** Oval miniature protected by a transparent cover. **Reverse:** Oval gold surface decorated with geometric engravings and chain-like patterns. **Provenance:** Bonhams, London, 21 November 2007, Lot 167.
Auction 02: Rare 18th–19th Century Portrait Miniatures & Mourning Jewellery — Melis Antiques & Art