Masterfully miniature on ivory depicts a young beauty was executed by German painter and miniaturist Johann Julius Heinsius (1740, Hildburghausen/Germany - 1812, Orléans/France). He was the brother of Johann Ernst Heinsius, a painter from Ilmenau. They were the sons of the painter Johann Christian Heintz (1706-1752). Heinsius traveled to the Netherlands with his father around 1752 and worked there as a painter. From 1771 he went to France and exhibited paintings in salons. Soon afterwards he returned to Germany and in 1772 became an official painter in Weimar.

He later became a painter for the daughters of Louis XV. In 1779 and 1782 he exhibited at the "Salon de la Correspondance" in Paris. Among the works he exhibited at the 1782 exhibition were portraits of the d´Espagnac family. Because of his ties to the royal family (he was referred to as "Peintre des Mesdames de France", artist of the sisters of Louis XV.), He had to leave France for some time during the French Revolution.

In 1788 he exhibited in Berlin under the title "Hofmaler zu Weimar". Despite his ties to the French royal family and his foreign birth, he was finally allowed to return to France to take up his main practice as a portraitist. In 1790 he moved to the city of Orléans about 130 kilometers southwest of Paris, where he stayed until his death. However, regular trips to Paris kept him up to date on the artistic trends there. Heinsius created a variety of oil paintings as well as miniatures and drawings in black chalk.

His portraits and miniatures are in French museums : Louvre, Versailles.

Literature: Benezit; Thieme & Becker; online Wikipedia.

Inscription: signed lower right.

Technique: gouache on ivory, antique black wood frame with round gilt bronze inner frame.

Measurements: unframed diameter 2 3/4" ( 7 cm); framed w 4 7/8" x h 5" (12,2 x 12,6 cm).

Condition: in good condition, a small crack at the top left (0.5 cm).