An Elegant Portrait Miniature Snuff Box, Signed Ste Foy Cordello and Dated 1812 An attractive and finely painted early 19th-century portrait miniature incorporated into an antique snuff box, signed and dated 1812. The miniature depicts a handsome young gentleman wearing fashionable attire characteristic of the early 19th century. His appearance and dress reflect the elegance and refinement of the period. Of particular interest is the artist's signature, **“Ste Foy Cordello 1812”**, positioned in the upper right-hand area of the painting. The combination of a finely executed portrait miniature with a personal accessory such as a snuff box reflects the tradition of incorporating miniature portraiture into decorative and functional objects during the Georgian and Napoleonic periods. The clearly recorded signature and date add to the historical and collecting interest of this charming piece. The Artist – Madame Cordelle, née Sainte-Foy de la Vergnolle Madame Cordelle, née Sainte-Foy de la Vergnolle, was a French miniature painter who was active in the late 18th and early 19th centuries. Her artistic activity is documented in France between 1792 and 1804, a period of profound political, social and artistic changes, against the background of the French Revolution and the rise of Napoleon Bonaparte. The artist belonged to the French tradition of portrait miniature painting, an art form characterized by delicate brushwork and the ability to depict facial features and details of clothing on an exceptionally small scale. Works of this kind often served as personal keepsakes and precious objects of art. Artistic and Scholarly Documentation Important evidence of the artist's activity appears in the catalogue of the Artcurial auction house in Paris, in a special sale dedicated to the art of miniature painting, entitled *Le Portrait en miniature – Une collection européenne*, held on 14 June 2023. In this sale, a portrait miniature of Louis XVI, King of France, was presented and attributed to the artist under her full name: **Madame Cordelle, née Sainte-Foy de la Vergnolle** The work, measuring 8.4 cm in diameter, bore her signature "Ste foy / Cordelle". Of particular importance is also the research published by the French art historian and miniature painting scholar Nathalie Lemoine-Bouchard, under the title: *Peintre en miniature, du nouveau sur : Mme Sainte-Foy Cordelle* The research was published in the journal *La Lettre de la Miniature*, Issue 37, September–October 2016, p. 2, and constitutes an additional scholarly reference documenting the existence and activity of the artist. Connection to the Miniature Offered in This Sale The miniature offered here, depicting a young gentleman in fashionable early 19th-century attire and incorporated into an antique snuff box, bears her signature: "Ste Foy Cordello 1812". Sources for Comparison and Research Artcurial, Paris, *Le Portrait en miniature – Une collection européenne*, 14 June 2023, Lot 21. Nathalie Lemoine-Bouchard, *Peintre en miniature, du nouveau sur : Mme Sainte-Foy Cordelle*, *La Lettre de la Miniature*, No. 37, September–October 2016, p. 2. **Artist:** adame Cordelle, née Sainte-Foy de la Vergnolle **Date:** 1812. **Period:** Early 19th century. **Style:** Portrait Miniature, mounted in a snuff box. **Technique:** Watercolours on a natural substrate. **Dimensions:** Approximately 6.6 cm in diameter. **Signature:** Signed “Ste Foy Cordello 1812” in the upper right-hand area of the miniature. **Provenance:** Private Collection.
Auction 02: Rare 18th–19th Century Portrait Miniatures & Mourning Jewellery — Melis Antiques & Art