Truly a small miracle of survival! This French portrait miniature of a lady with her spaniel dog evokes the spirit of the early 18th century. Special on so many level, this dates to the earlier part of the 1700s. 

Charming and exceedingly personal, this is an oval watercolor on card or parchment. The woman portrayed is dressed in a scalloped necked gown with double rows of lace and  cuffs. Her hair is blond and natural (no wig, correct for the period), and ornately curled.

The Age of the Flower
Flowers were all the rage during this period, natural and as motifs. And the ubiquitous roses and flowers top her hair. Evident also is a pearl hair piece or net at the back with curls down her back. 

Unusually, she is pointing at her darling pet spaniel. A curious creature with fur that splays out in nearly all directions. 

Costume of the Times
Notice that she wears no jewelry, her dress is relatively simple, and her hair, while curled, is natural, real flowers adorn her tresses.  Typical of the period, deshabillé (negligee or informal) was a term applied to dress during the day that was less structured, informal, and of lighter fabrics.

Often, no stays or bone were employed, in fact, it was considered quite comfortable (can you imagine!). It was also a statement of status. Women's portraits portrayed en deshabille, cued the viewer their had the time of leisure before they were formally attired. It stemmed from the later 17th century of being depicted in either private clothing to the informal dress worn outside the home.

The gown depicted here may be the "robe a la Francaise" which grey from the deshabille fashion with its scooped neck and lace, and 3/4 sleeves with lace trim, fitted bodice. 

People & Their Pets
Finding examples with people and their pets in miniature portrait paintings enjoyed a long history. Easy to find? Well, not impossible, but of all the portrait miniatures, those with dogs, birds, or other pets remain of fraction of all portrait miniature subjects.

Women Portrait Miniature Artists
Portrait miniatures were certainly painted by women, some even gained notoriety in their day and more so today. However, they are a small fraction of the total pool of artists throughout their history. Amateur female artists took up the brush to paint their loved ones, friends, and relations. Wonderful to find!

Signatures & The Artist
Signatures are not all that common in this medium. While they do exist, usually one finds tiny initials at the bottom of the miniature. You are fortunate to witness the artist’s full name on the bottom left, Caroline Defontenay. 

The use of the "De" in front of Fontenay may well be indicative that she was in the aristocratic or class. Certainly, she was wealthy enough to be at leisure to paint, and to be painting other women of great means. 

Unfortunately, to date, no history has been uncovered about our artist. Likely she was an amateur, but with unmistakable talent, given this detailed and highly accomplished portrait. The Three Graces welcomes any information!

Who Was the Woman?
Many times, the sitter's information was noted on the reverse. However, since the frame allows no access, she will remain a mystery.

The Frame
This is silver dotted with tiny paste (glass)stones. A bow at the top, another classic 18^th century motif, curves around the top portion of the oval. The reverse has two slide fittings for a ribbon. The bottom portion is metal. This does not open.