Henri, Pierre - portrait of a lady

This miniature portrait has some paint disturbance to the left of the face, but is otherwise in good condition for an age of around 200 years. It was acquired unframed, so was little regarded by the previous owner.

The appeal of the portrait is that it may possibly be by Pierre Henri (1760-1822), a French artist who emigrated to America around the time of the French Revolution. The extra lace around the neck of the dress and hairstyle date to around 1815-1820, so the date is acceptable for Henri, as a later work when he was troubled by gout which affected the quantity and quality his work

His work is often characterized by over large heads which tend to be placed high on the ivory. He tended to pay more attention to the detail of clothing than some other miniature painters active in America at that time.

Johnson notes that the features are strongly delineated, with large round eyes and a slightly curling mouth. Skin tones are pale and backgrounds of a neutral shade. Although he often signed his work this was note always the case.

Below for comparison is another portrait in this collection which is by Pierre Henri  Henri, Pierre - portrait of John Glover Cowell This other one was painted around 1795-1800 and has similarities as well as differences. Thus the attribution of the lady to Henri can only be tentative. 1467