The Lace-Maker

Naïvely painted but radiating charm, this ¾-length watercolour portrait depicts a young lady with the tiniest of waist-lines standing before a jade green drape next to a table with her workbox. She appears to be holding a length of lace; perhaps she is proud of her work and wishes to show it off. The style of her vibrantly blue dress with its bell sleeves, wide skirt and neat lace collar fastened with a brooch dates the portrait to the 1840s.

Unnamed and with no artist signature, the portrait is set in a stained pine frame with a gilded slip. The background card has a few light spots; the frame has that lovely patina of age with small scratches.