Spanish miniature of the XIX century.

Spanish miniature of the XIX century.
"Portrait of a lady".
Gouache on 18 kt. gold, border with enamels and pearls.
Measurements: 3 x 2,5 cm, 4,5 x 3,5 cm (with border).
A lady of high social class poses deliberately for the artist. She wears a powdered wig touched with ribbons and other ornaments. Miniature painting, especially portrait painting, developed in Europe from the 16th century onwards. They were mainly paintings embedded in objects such as medallions, table clocks or small boxes. They were done in a variety of techniques, such as oil on copper, tin or ivory, gouaches on parchment or cardboard and, from the 18th century, watercolor on ivory. This delicate art will be lost since the second half of the 19th century, in parallel to the development of photography.