Lady Seated on a Chair with Egyptian Decoration

The only word clearly legible on the letter held by the young lady’s loosely hanging and beautifully painted hand is “Vienne”. Either Bouton, one of the most talented miniaturists of France at the end of the 18th century and the beginning of the 19th, created this portrait in Vienna, or the lady reads the letter from her beloved in Vienna whom this miniature is meant for. The sitter, attentively looking at the spectator, is seated on a “Retour d’Egypte”, a piece of furniture with Egyptian decoration after the Ancient style, which was fashionable during the Directoire period. This style emerged after Napoleon’s campaign in Egypt in 1798-1799. Bouton’s highly developed skill shows the lady in a natural, relaxed posture. He uses tender colouring for the shades of her skin, employing fine diagonal strokes in pale blue, ochre and a touch of pink, as well as for the presentation of her soft white Empire dress with gold braid. The light falls on the lady’s right, to which the red scarf and her posture draw attention.
D. O.