Antique Limoges Enamel Portrait of Woman and Lap Dog

These elegant enamel plaques was painted in Limoges, a town in the south-west of France. While Limoges was highly regarded for its painted enamel wares in the 15th Century, in the following periods there was a decline in production. In the mid-19th Century, however, items like this pair began to be created, reviving the techniques of enamel painting that were perfected in the medieval period. The plaques depict two women, both with wavy blonde shoulder-length hair, and similar facial features. The women may be sisters, possibly even twins. One woman wears a pale pink dress...

This beautiful antique porcelain plaque exhibits the fine quality of craftsmanship and artistry that the prestigious Berlin porcelain manufactory, KPM, is renowned for. The plaque is delicately painted with the full-length portrait of Duchess Louise of Mecklenburg-Strelitz (1776-1810), Queen of Prussia and wife of King William III (1770-1840). Louise was a popular Queen and was respected for her successful negotiations with Napoleon, before he became Emperor of France. In this plaque, she is depicted descending the steps of the Charlottenburg Palace, Berlin, which was the seat of the Prussian monarchy. She wears a simple robe a l'anglaise, which was fashionable at the time, and looks directly at the viewer in a symbol of power and majesty. The plaque is signed to the lower right by the artist 'Emile Eckhart', who worked for KPM. It is painted after a famous work by celebrated German artist Gustav Karl Ludwig Richter...

French Victorian (19/20th Cent) oil painting portrait of a lady and French poodle with blue bow in walnut and ebonized frame.  

Oil on canvas of lady with King Charles Cavalier spaniel on lap.