Featured Miniature portraits

I've had these miniature portraits for years. Before they came to me, they belonged to my grandmother. I have no idea who they are, or their origin. On close examination, the first appears to be a transfer with hand-painted details and is either on very thin ivory or celluloid, so I'm guessing it dates to sometime between 1910 - 1930ish. Again, that's only a guess. It doesn't have a glass cover, and as far as I know it never has.

The second is on a translucent substrate that also may be either celluloid or very thin ivory. There is some back painting on this one, and there are some flaking issues on the front. I think it may be a bit older than the other, but I don't have a feel for how old it might be. This one does have a slightly domed glass cover hand cut to fit the frame.

I noticed there were some other miniatures posted recently, so I thought I'd share mine.

 

They look like antique decorative prints to me

 

The first one is definitely a print; I can see the dots from here. The second is too, more likely than not.

 

I agree that the first is a print, even though it has some hand-applied paint and detail.

The second, on every close magnification, has no dot pattern, but does have discernible brush strokes, and there are spots of flaking paint. I don't believe the second to be a print. That being said, I'm not an expert, and may be wrong.

 

Script inscription: Mlle Sophie Arnauld or Arnould? Possibly her portrait.

 

Likely to be a copy of / inspired by an earlier portrait then.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sophie_Arnould

Debora

 

@Debora: I think the inscription was/is on the other older miniature of the lady in the blue dress, given the life time of Mlle Arnould as described on Wiki. I am not sure that the other portrait is of the same lady. It looks a lot more modern, as in 100 years or so later.

 

Just went back to look and Mlle Arnould is inscribed on portrait with pierced frame. The original work was by Jean-Baptiste Greuze and is entitled 'Portrait of a Lady.'

Debora

 

Great, you checked it. The other portrait does not seem to be identified as her anywhere. I took a quick look thru Images on French google. Had it been her there'd have been that image, it wasn't there. The Big Hat portrait was shown numerous times, sometimes with a variation in the smile! Greuze, the artist, painted in a more modern style than was common in the mid-to-late 18th cent. Only Elizabeth Vigee-LeBrun came close to that style, big hat, coy smile, etc.

 

@Frank , could you upload a photo of the back of the portrait of the lady in blue? (The second portrait you posted.) It may or may not provide any help.