c. 1790-1800 French Portrait Ring

A darling c. 1790-1800 French portrait miniature ring, featuring a girl-child with hoop earrings in a white smock dress, beneath cover glass in a setting of solid 18k gold. A similar French portrait ring from the same period, also portraying a child, is in the Musée des Arts Décoratifs and illustrated on page 86 of “The Ring: Design Past and Present” by Sylvie Lambert. Both rings share identical trifurcated fleur-de-lis shoulders; while this feature can be found on many 18th c rings made throughout Europe, the workmanship and appearance of the present example is specifically French. Rings with portrait miniature have been made in Europe since at least the Renaissance (even earlier, if portrait cameos are included). Unless bearing a mourning inscription or featuring a political figure, the nature of these rings are sentimental, and were commissioned and worn by family and friends. Until about 1780, portrait rings generally featured small circular ring heads. Late 18th c Neoclassical portrait rings can be considered a design breakthrough, in that these rings acquired unprecedented scale and size, offering large octagonal, oval, or marquise ring faces that allow more space for sensitively painted portraits. Jewelers cleverly compensated for the enlarged shapes by changing the convex ring ‘butts’ of the rococo period to a concave shape, designed to mould against the natural curvature of the finger for a comfortable fit. When well made, the late 18th c Neoclassical portrait ring is a thing of beauty, balancing artful sentimentalism with pleasing contours and crisp lines.
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