Featured New Year, New Miniature Painting. Possibly some History to Discover?

Hello all and Happy new year!! I have been MIA but I've managed to find some lovely pieces, the first of which I'll post here.

I won this miniature and it just arrived this afternoon. I opened it up and behold the pretty lady has a name, Lady Villiers. I was hoping those with historical fashion knowledge would help me pinpoint a time period to research in?

There is also a couple of words on the back of the painting itself, I think it says F. aux Boliro which of course google corrects to faux bolero and shows me clothes.

The artist's signature says L. Guerou, there are several French (I live and this was bought in France) Guerou painters spanning a few hundred years.

So we have a portrait of Lady Villiers, by L Guerou, with F aux Boliro inscribed on the back. Of course there is the famous mistress Villiers, but she lived a few hundred years before I believe this painting was made.

As always I appreciate your input!



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Lady Sarah Fane (1785-1867) became Villiers by marriage in 1804. I see some resemblance and that would also correctly place the timeframe for my portrait?


Edit to add another portrait of a much younger Lady Sarah. Seems her down to the hair. The nose and mouth are the same.
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Pretty woman!
It says f. (Femme) au boléro.
My feeling is it is a end 19th or beginning 20th piece, the lady dressed in earlier fashion (themed party?).
the writing style isn't 18th.

 

J.(?) Guérou. According to AI:

"Known for painting women in 19th-century costume, often in a romantic or idealized style."

Lots of examples to be found on internet.

Debora

 

Here's another example. Described as 20th century.

https://www.selency.co.uk/p/B1J811BU/miniature-by-guerou-hand-painted-mid-twentieth-woman-in-costume

Debora

 

I imagine an original portrait inspired both.

https://desmoinesvintage.com/products/florentine-female-portrait

Debora

 

Amend that to "...them all."

Debora

 

According to this, it's a portrait of Emma Vickery.

https://thelondonliferpg.com/wiki/index.php/Emma_Vickery

Debora

 

Oh. Well that's very disappointing. I guess lesson learned to image search the painting to make sure its not a copy. I paid a lot for it so now must decide if I return it or sell it on and see if I can make it back.

Crazy how it looks just like Lady Sarah, but there's no denying that everything else is a copy. My portrait is nicely done and in the older style, so I wouldn't have guessed 20th century certainly.

Thank you all for your responses!

 

If it was misrepresented by the seller, you have every right to return it. To my eye, your miniature is 2nd half 20th century. 1960ish.

Debora

 

well i can't speak for 'them all' (and some look ghastly)

but yours is awesome, and in a much better league

 

and old (19th century)

 

Well that'll make me think twice about portraits again, I thought this was clearly early 19th. What makes this 1960 to you? I'd like to stay away from them in future.

Also, the seller put it in the XIX category on ebay, but otherwise is vague as to time period.

 

See that's what I thought, but our lovely folks here think no and that's backed up by other dealers with this artist's work elsewhere.

 

well lets see what 'everyone' thinks first shall we

 

i musta had (in hand) quite a few down the line (in all forms/ages/quality)

and that one (as said before) is in a better /older league

(and fully hand painted.....unlike the other types)

 

If you look closely, she doesn't. In the second portrait her nose is longer and not as straight as on yours, and the mouth is smaller.
Yours depicts a more classic beauty, but that is no reason to keep it. It was misrepresented, so you should get your money back.

 

When you click on the 3rd portrait on the Wiki page,

you're redirected to https://thelondonliferpg.com/wiki/index.php/File:Emma_miniature.jpg, where it says that the miniature is called 'Portrait of a Lady', painted by George Engleheart in 1801.
And George also painted Miss Barclay .... The long lost twin sister?


And while the young lady in the Engleheart painting is supposed to be (the 18 year old) Emma in 1808, 2 years later, she looked like this according to Wiki...

She changed quite a bit in 2 years...
And this portrait would have been made in 1810. One year after her fiancé 'was thrown from his horse and killed a month before the wedding was due to take place.'.
'Emma went into mourning, as appropriate for a bereaved fiancée, and spent the Season of 1810 in the country.' Was it also appropriate for a bereaved fiancée to have someone painting a portrait of you, and to pose with a smile?

 

Clearly an emotional eater. It happens.