Discovery: Marie Antoinette At The Temple Prison, Idealized Portrait, Late 18th Century

A beautiful oval miniature, gouache on ivory, presenting an idealizedprofile—almost cameo-like—of the Queen wearing the cap of a prisoner at theTemple (circa 1792).
Since no one could visit her at period, the artistrelied on imagination; the Queen appears well-groomed, with her hair pulledback and adorned with a small earring and blue ribbons—vestiges of her formerelegance—even though we know that jewelry and fine caps were no longerappropriate attire in the Temple prison.
Why 1792?  - Because she was not yet awidow, and hope still lived on among her supporters, friends, and...portraitists.
The miniature was clearly painted late 18th century by aprofessional hand (please enlarge our photos); it is unsigned but stylisticallyclose to the portraits of Gault or Piat Sauvage.
A truly moving miniature.
Dimensions: 5.5 cm x 4.2 cm.
Provenance: A sale in Germany; comes in the frameshown (which is in average condition).
Buy It Now: Payment accepted via credit card or PayPal.
— eclectic — We are notprofessional appraisers, but we have been in this trade for over 50 years.
Hassle-free refund if you are not satisfied. An invoice and certificate areincluded with every shipment.