The Limner Company’s pop-up exhibition of portrait miniatures (see ATG No 2619) has ended, but it still has a winter catalogue of items to choose plus a selection of online stock.
Among the offerings is this portrait miniature of Emperor Joseph II (1741-90), Holy Roman Emperor and King of Bohemia and Hungary. The brother of Marie Antoinette, he was a believer in enlightened absolutism, though his policies, now known as Josephinism, were comparatively liberal and modern.
He is viewed often as one of three major enlightenment monarchs along with Catherine the Great of Russia and Frederick the Great of Prussia.
This watercolour on ivory miniature, available for £850, is from the School of Antonio Bencini after an image by Joseph Ducreux (1735-1802).
It shows the emperor, c.1770, wearing the sash of the Order of Marie-Thérèse, as well as the grand cross of Marie-Thérèse. The piece is set into a later silver mount set with marcasite and has an ivory registration number.
