Featured Mignature of French King Henri IV

Hello from sunny France....
Here is a Mignature Portrait of French King Henri the IVth belongs to my old Mother.
This mignature is framed in a solid gold small frame and looks as if it has been done on paper..??? ...No copper or ivory.....
We have tried to show this object here locally to some Henri the IV collectors and followers forum in order to find out if this portrait was already known...As a Painted or Printed piece...But the response has been negative from their record...Very strange...My old Parents live in Pau (64000 France) Town and Castle of Birth of Henri the IV King of France murdered in 1610 in Paris by Ravaillac.....
This mignature, needs some more expertise...There is few ink marks on the back...It is gold ..But no marks....
I really would appreciate if you give me any more good or bad info from your side.
Yours
JB

 

Sorry...Forgot This Miniature measures 5.3 CM Diameter....

 

I don't think we will be able to tell you much about the medium based on your photos. It may require close examination under a microscope.

 

BUT, THAT is SO VERY COOL!!!!!!!!!!!! I Love it!!!

 

May be taken from this image, though I haven't found when this was painted or who did it:


The fact that yours is reversed may indicate that it was done from an engraving, which would make it later than the painting.

You say it is painted on paper. The image you show suggests laid paper. That may indicate age and would be consistent with a 1716 date, but for a small portrait, coming up with a piece of laid paper - even a very old piece - would not be difficult even today.

 

OK, so, I did a couple of things to HENRY....I lightened the image, which I frequently do when looking for a signature, then sharpened it a bit...the FIRST image has both done to it....SECOND image is enlarged 1.5X as well.....when lightened.....TO ME, I am seeing what COULD be (or not!) a signature on the LEFT side of the image half way up (you may have to focus and stare at it for a moment or two before you see it...I think what I see on the Left starts with a Capital scrolly S).....there is also something indiscernible on the RIGHT side of Henry also about half way up.....I did not 'play' with what I saw other than to lighten the whole image....as I didn't want to distort what I was faintly seeing.....but I do think it deserves further looking into considering the age of your amazing little miniature portrait!! Good Luck with it!!!!! Please let us know!!! BTW, what does the "Ei" mean on the back piece that's with the 1716 date, please? I know about 3 French words!!!!


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It would seem to be by Frans Pourbus II now in the Louvre.

https://collections.louvre.fr/en/ark:/53355/cl010060873

 

Frans Pourbus the Younger (II) (1569-1622) seems to have done several portraits of Henry IV, all with a very similar face.

https://www.rct.uk/collection/402972/henri-iv-king-of-france-1553-1610

https://www.google.com/search?q=Fra...CEAQsQ_AUoAXoECAIQAw&biw=1438&bih=671&dpr=0.9

 

There are others in the Louvre.

These from the "school of" Pourbus "https://collections.louvre.fr/en/ark:/53355/cl010057313


https://collections.louvre.fr/en/ark:/53355/cl010057776

 

There are so many engravings of Henri IV. I think this might be the right one. The paper on yours looks correct for the period and you can tell it has been painted with watercolor.

 

Despite being an engraving, the picture shown by Lithographer looks closest to OP's miniature. The only problem is that it has been dated to 1764. But we don't know when OP's miniature was painted. The notations on the backing card may have been added at a later date and may not be correct.

That engraving doesn't quite fit any of the painted images shown here. If another painted portrait could be found that is closer to the engraving, the date of that work might determine whether or not the date on the miniature is sustainable.

Pourbus II, a contemporary of the king, certainly did enough portraits of Henri IV. There could easily be others out there, as well as others lost.

I see no obvious reason to doubt an early 18thC attribution, but I'm not an expert.

 

Thanks..Will try to find a way...

 

Big Thanks...True it is quite similar..Not sure from the same Painting...?? Hair and face a little bit different...I will investigate in Pau Museum and Castle regarding your painting...As usual from You...Very useful indications and info....Merci..Jck

 

Whaou..!!!!Big Thanks...Could be brillant if it was a signed one..Not 100% sure....It does look very much as the Print mentioned below with some watercolor finish..??? For sure it is the same face than the one printed by Antoine Marcenay de Ghuy....

 

I spend WAAAY too much time playing when I should be DUSTING my house, but yep, looks like @Lithographer nailed it!!!!! I overlaid @BTZ64's image without the background onto Lithographer's image, with transparency, and it's a perfect match, even to the wrinkles with what he's wearing!!! I have way too much fun doing this......even tho I don't get it perfect!!!

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@Aquitaine - I was just composing a message asking if you could do that, with your photo manipulation skills.

It looks like there is a good chance that the "miniature" was cut out from the engraving and hand colored. (Or taken from a hand colored version of the engraving.) Another thing to compare would be the actual dimensions of the de Ghuy engraving and the miniature. According to info on a copy held by the Royal Collection Trust, the image area of the engraving is 13.0 x 8.8 cm. But someone would need to calculate the dimensions of the head area alone.
https://www.rct.uk/collection/616646/henri-le-grand

@BTZ64 - can you please check the orientation of the laid lines visible on the back of your image? If it is cut from an engraving, the lines should be in alignment with the image (ie, run vertically - parallel to the portrait, or horizontally - perpendicular to the portrait). If they run at some other angle, something else is going on.

 

Then you are back to the fact that the engraving dates to 1764. A sharp, very close detail of the face will tell if it is a colored engraving.

The engraving says it's after someone named Jannet, who I don't know.
The engraver, Antoine de Marcenay de Ghuy, dates 1724-1811.

 

The date written on the back might also be 1796, with a very small circle at the top of the 9. That number doesn't look at all like the 1 at the beginning of the date. However, it's also possible that the person who wrote it was not consistent in writing numerals.

 

That IS something I was wondering when I first saw it....1716 or 1796...still wonder.....may never know????

 

Could be. The idea that it may be a colored print is also interesting. I'd like to have that resolved.