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FRENCH MINIATURE PORTRAIT BERNARD FRANCK COLLECTION.
Signed French miniature portrait on ivory of a beautiful young lady of the Empire / Napoleonic period, 19th century (1804-14), France.
Oval 4 1/4 inch long. 103x88mm.
Masterful painting of a young woman wearing a white Empire dress, held by gold rings at the puffed sleeves. A red shawl/cloak around one shoulder hinting at
Royal lineage. Soft, pretty features beautifully depicted.
Signed Lecomte. Back has original lables from the Bernard Franck collection, also stating that this is a Lady of the Empire period.
Contained in a delicate golden bronze frame within a rectangular burl walnut frame.
Back has not been opened.
Good condition to both painting and frame.<P><P>
Painting acquired legally and painted on an ivory disc well over 100 years old.<P><P>
BERNARD FRANCK (1848-1924)
Bernard Franck was born in Paris in 1848. He was a veteran of the 1870 Franco-Prussian War, during which he was awarded the Medaille Militaire. He was an
industrialist, specializing in the manufacturing of military equipment. His success in business enabled him to become an inveterate collector.
He amassed his vast collection over 45 years from 1875 to 1920. The collection consisted of 18th Century and early 19th Century objects – miniature portraits
(many emphasizing military subjects), medals and decorations, armory, uniforms, paintings, engravings, a variety of bibelots.
Besides the miniature portraits, especially noteworthy was Franck’s collection of Carnets de Bal (dance cards). He sold this collection to J.P.Morgan around
1910. Before doing so, he had the collection reproduced in an album entitled "Collection de 124 carnets de bal du XVIIIe siecle/formee par M.Bernard Franck a
Paris de l’annee 1875 au 23 avril 1902". Only 20 albums were produced, of which one is in the Watson Library of the Metropolitan Museum and one in the Morgan
Library, autographed by Franck to Morgan. Franck died in 1924. The collection that follows has been held within the family since that time. |
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