Picture frame (2) - Resin, Alloy

A splendid pair of miniature portraits with ornate gilt metal frames (gilt bronze, often called ormolu or French-style gilt bronze) and velvet ribbons.
Description and Style
• Subject: Each portrait depicts a young woman with a dark, gathered hairstyle and loose curls. She wears a neoclassical-style dress (often called Empire or Directoire style), reminiscent of the togas of ancient Greece or Rome, with a low, soft neckline. The background is dark and neutral, which highlights the subject.
• Technique: Miniature portraits are typically executed on a medium such as ivory, parchment, or enamel, although hand-retouched color prints or paintings on porcelain are sometimes found. Given the similarity between the two, ivory is possible, but mass production also suggests porcelain or enamel/glass. The signature is impressed on both figures.
• Frame: The frames are oval and highly decorative, in Rococo Revival or Victorian (French Revival) style, featuring scrolls, acanthus leaves, and asymmetrical shapes. They are suspended from a ring attached to a burgundy velvet ribbon, typical of wall decorations known as boudoir decor or displayed on velvet panels.
Period: The subject (dress and hairstyle) is inspired by the Neoclassical/Imperial period (late 18th - early 19th century), but the style of the frame and the fashion for miniatures as furnishing objects suggest a revival period (rebirth of a previous style):
• Period: The Rococo Revival and Empire styles were very popular, especially in France, during the second half of the 19th century (particularly the Victorian/Napoleonic III era) and continued into the early 20th century (Edwardian/Art Nouveau period). The overall appearance and paired production are typical of this later period. They show visible signs of aging, clearly visible in the photos.