Antique French Portrait Miniature, Early 19th Century, a Beautiful 18th Century Woman with Mandolin Crumb Brush I'm not a cigar smoker

I'm not a cigar smoker

backed by mother of pearl for lustre and light through the paint

the ear wax and tweezer tool gone missing

The painting is slightly smallish on edges for this frame

fearing further issue with the hairline

Antique French Portrait Miniature, Early 19th Century, a Beautiful 18th Century Woman with Mandolin Crumb Brush I'm not a cigar smokerWhat a beauty she is! It's fascinating, isn't it, that so much personality and detail can be painted in 5 8", which is the height of her beautiful face. This woman, fashioned in hair and gown of c. 1770s, but I think painted later perhaps as a souvenir taken from an earlier painting, shows her playing a mandolin. Always fun to have portraits with musical instruments, sewing or writing tools or personal objects to help define the sitter. The painting