the elder in green bordered loose white dress with green ribbon bow and long curling fair hair, seated on a wooden chair strewn with pink roses and leaves and pink roses and leaves on her lap, the younger girl holding her sister's arm, in sleeveless white robe and long fair hair, foliate background, gouache on ivory, gold mount, set on the cover of a composition bonbonniere Christie's London. A strong bid for such an exquisite miniature but explainable by the fact that portraits of children are much sought by amateurs. This miniature carried a pre-sale estimate of between £ 6,000 and 8,000. Laurent was born in Baccarat and was like Augustin a pupil of Claudot in Nancy. He then went to Paris and made his debut at the Salon of 1791 and continued to exhibit until 1831. This artists counts amongst the best French miniaturists of the 18th and the beginning of the 19th Century, faultless in drawing and in expression with an exceptional sense of colour. His miniatures were composed with much care and art and offered a great variety of poses. His works were true pictures with a virtuosity and a perfect light and often included landscape backgrounds painted with much skill. |