Figure 1.--This minature of Marie Casimir Leon Quiot was painted about 1854. Click on the image to see the back.

This is an exquisite French miniature from the 19th Century painted on Ivory depicting a young boy of about 5 years standing in front of a cloudy background. An art dealer describes his outfit as, "He is an elegant looking boy with his wonderful white costume and wearing a white blouse. The collar of the blouse is rounded with lace as was common at that time." He has charming curling blond hair. It was set in its original black wooden frame. At the back this antique miniature has an old ink notation/ A translation reads, "Marie Casimir Leon Quiot, born in Ajaccio the 14 April 1849 and died in Paris (law student) the 28 January 1872. Burried in Antibes (bachelor). He was the eldest brother of my father." This would mean that the minature was painted about 1854.

Minature

This is an exquisite French miniature from the 19th Century painted on Ivory. It was set in its original black wooden frame.

Subject

The subject is a young boy of about 5 years standing in front of a cloudy background. He looks to be a boy from an affluent family. This is suggested by the fact that a minature has been commissioned as well as the elegant clothes and hair. At the back this antique miniature has an old ink notation, "Marie Casimir LeónQuiot, sie á Ajaccio le 14 Abril 1849 et décédé á Páris (etudiant en droit) le 28 Jauvier 1872. Inhume á Antibes (eé libertad). C etach le feére aíné de mon pere." A translation reads, "Marie Casimir Leon Quiot, born in Ajaccio the 14 April 1849 and died in Paris (law student) the 28 January 1872. Burried in Antibes (bachelor). He was the eldest brother of my father." We note that he died right after the German seige of Paris (1871) during the Franco Prussian War (1870-71). We wonder if his health was affected by the seige.

Chronology

This would mean that the minature was painted about 1854.

Clothing

A art dealer describes the portrait as, "He is an elegant looking boy with his wonderful white costume and wearing a white blouse. The collar of the blouse is rounded with lace as was common at that time." This does not look like a blouse to HBC, but rather looks like the boy is wearing a pastel blue dress. The material looks to heavy for a blouse. He wears what looks likes a double ruffled lace collar. This is a more elaborate lace collar than we generally notice in the 1850s.

Hair Styles

Marie has charming curling blond hair. This is interesting as we have noted that straight uncurled hair has been more common ib French 19th century portrait than tightly done ringlets. His hair is parted in the middle.