Georgian lover’s eye miniature

A Georgian lover’s eye miniature set to a gold brooch, circa 1800. Eye miniatures were a curious anomaly in miniature painting  which became fashionable at the end of the 18th century. They were an extremely intense manifestation of an already emotionally charged art, apparently an attempt to capture ‘the window of the soul’, the supposed reflection of a person’s most intimate thoughts and feelings. The depiction of a single eye meant the identity of the sitter remained a mystery, a secret shared between donor and recipient. This is a female eye with blue iris, her blondish, reddish hair artfully arranged in a curl on her alabaster white cheek. The brooch measures 3/4 of an inch by 2/3 of an inch. It is beautifully executed and immaculate.

£6000

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