19th Century French Hand-Painted Vase

Description

This is a rare and special find!

A small hand painted enamel over copper vase, made in France circa 1890. … more This is a rare and special find!

A small hand painted enamel over copper vase, made in France circa 1890. This charming vase depicts a woman in a landscape sitting on a rock in the midst of a forest. It is dusk with the skies turning a beautiful hue of pinkish orange and she is playing the lute. Her hat is very unique and has a curious shape which lends even more character to the painting. Her bright turquoise dress and other clothing are painted in such a way that there is depth created though layering of paint, through brush strokes on the original copper background. A silver foil background was used to create the more iridescent look of her dress, a traditional method used for illustrating scenes when painting realistically on copper surfaces. There are no chips to the enamel and minimal crazing, but this is normal for its age. There is a small, barely visible painting restoration below her feet.

Signed by the artist Villet. This is a fantastic little bud vase, a stand out piece of decorative art for anyone that appreciates the antique European Rococo style that was so loved by the aristocracy in the 18th Century and beyond. less