Miniature Depicting A Courtly Scene On Ivory Attributed To Jacques Charlier (1728–1790), Nude Woman With A Dove,

A charming French miniature from the second half of the 18th century, painted on ivory and set in its elegant original circular gilded bronze frame, protected by its antique glass.

This delightful composition depicts a young nude woman, delicately reclining by a stream, in a wooded landscape rendered with great finesse. A dove—a traditional symbol of Venus—modestly conceals her private parts, while the young woman holds a rose in her right hand, another attribute of love and beauty. A sheer gauze veil drapes gently over her shoulders, accentuating the scene’s grace and sensuality.

The work is a prime example of the refined tradition of gallant miniatures that enjoyed great success during the reigns of Louis XV and Louis XVI. The quality of the drawing, the delicacy of the skin tones, the finesse of the landscape, and the subtlety of the transparencies attest to a particularly skilled hand.

On the reverse is an old annotation attributing the work to Jacques Charlier (1728–1790), accompanied by the collection number 309. This miniature comes from a major private collection in Lyon.

The piece is preserved in its original gilded bronze frame decorated with double rows of concentric striations.

The only flaw worth noting is a slight natural crack in the ivory on the left side, a common occurrence in this type of antique material, which does not affect the work’s aesthetic quality or stability.

Dimensions

• Miniature (viewed): 6.5 cm in diameter
• With frame: 9.5 cm in diameter

CITES Regulations

Intra-Community Certificate (CITES) No. FR2306900648-K

In accordance with Regulation (EU) No. 2021/2280 of December 16, 2021, concerning trade in antique ivory, this artwork will be delivered to the purchaser along with its intra-Community certificate issued by the DREAL Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes on July 25, 2023, authorizing its sale within the European Union.

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