Portrait miniature of a young Lady, wearing ‘widow’s weeds’ with one breast exposed, her elbow resting on an urn

RICHARD COSWAY, R.A (1742-1821)

Portrait miniature of a young Lady, wearing ‘widow’s weeds’ with one breast exposed, her elbow resting on an urn

circa 1790
Watercolour on ivory (licence ERPF6T8V)
Oval, 65 mm (2 1/2 in) high
Gold, enamel and seed pearl frame

£11,000

'In depicting a widow mourning not only the loss of her husband in terms of financial security and status, Cosway was very much mirroring the sentiment of the later 18th century – when more emphasis was placed on the emotional bond between husband and wife.'

The unusual dichotomy of a widow with one breast exposed is perhaps unexpected for the modern viewer of this portrait miniature by the society miniaturist Richard Cosway. Widows are generally depicted as modest and serene, not young and nubile. However, the meaning behind such a curious juxtaposition can be explained by popular images of the 18th century, such as Le tendre ressouvenir (tender memory) by Jean-Baptiste Greuze (1725-1805) [1], in which a young widow re-reads old letters before the bust of her deceased husband with her breast exposed in a loose gown.

This work by Greuze was exhibited at the Grand Salon du Louvre, Paris in 1763 and was extremely influential. He also depicted his wife as the model in the painting The Inconsolable Widow, which dates to circa 1785.[2] In this later study, Greuze also shows the young widow with black gauze barely covering her breast. Cosway, by the 1780s an established art collector, would have recognised Greuze’s classical influences and included them in his own version shown here in the present work – the sitter’s veil and urn citing ancient Roman dress and ceramics. Greuze and Cosway were frequently linked in the art market and in private collections, with auction records and dealers often pairing prints and drawings from both masters.

In depicting a widow mourning not only the loss of her husband in terms of financial security and status, Cosway was very much mirroring the sentiment of the later 18th century – when more emphasis was placed on the emotional bond between husband and wife. These new social values in the third quarter of the 18th century were perhaps not present in Cosway’s own marriage, which was certainly convenient to both parties, if not exactly a marriage of convenience.

[1] Now in the Wallace Collection, London.

[2] Sold Sotheby’s, New York, ‘Important Old Master Paintings And European Works Of Art’, 25 January 2007, lot 362.

Private collection, UK.

shipping notice

Worldwide shipping is included in all prices.

The Limner Company does not accept any responsibility for import duty, this is to be paid by the buyer.

Some stock items contain materials from endangered species which are governed by CITES regulations and will require a permit to export outside of Great Britain. If a certificate of export is required then this will be the responsibility of and paid for by the buyer .

RICHARD COSWAY

(1742-1821)

Portrait miniature of a young Lady, wearing ‘widow’s weeds’ with one breast exposed, her elbow resting on an urn

shipping notice

The item added to cart contains materials from endangered or protected species. The Limner Company cannot arrange for the delivery of artworks containing ivory, tortoiseshell, or mother of pearl outside of the UK due to import restrictions. The buyer or designated agent may collect the property in the country of sale.

You are advised that several countries prohibit the importation of any items made from or containing certain endangered or protected species (such as ivory, tortoiseshell, or mother of pearl), while other countries will require a permit (e.g. a CITES licence). Such permits must be obtained from the relevant regulatory body in both the country of importation and exportation. If you intend to import such items into another country you should familiarise yourself with the relevant customs regulations and laws before purchase. Delays or refusal of import or export of such works shall not permit cancellation of a sale. It is your responsibility to satisfy any laws or regulations applying to the import or export of any work containing such protected species. For further information on the protected species listed please visit the CITES website:http://www.cites.org/. For further information about import and export regulations please visit:http://www.defra.gov.uk/ahvla-en/imports-exports/cites/. On request, the Company can assist with or apply for a license on your behalf.

Please contact us to discuss shipping options..

checkout details

Your basket exceeds the allowed online transaction limit of £10,000. Please remove an item from your basket to continue to checkout. Successive online sales totalling £10,000 are also prohibited. Please get in touch if you would like to move forward with the purchase in accordance with anti-money laundering regulation. 

Under the terms of the anti-money laundering regulation we are required to conduct customer due diligence (CDD) on all sales of works of art over £10,000 before the transaction is carried out. While therefore we may agree to such a sale in principle, we will not be able to conclude (i.e. receive funds, give up possession or transfer title) it until we have received all the necessary CDD information from you and have been able to verify it as required by the regulation.

shipping TERMS AND CONDITIONS

Worldwide shipping is included in all prices.

The Limner Company does not accept any responsibility for import duty, this is to be paid by the buyer.

See Section 7.5 in Terms & Conditions for information on export/import regulations. Please contact us to discuss shipping options. Some stock items contain materials from endangered species which are governed by CITES regulations and will require a permit to export outside of Great Britain. If a certificate of export is required then this will be the responsibility of and paid for by the buyer.

See Section 7.5 in Terms & Conditions for information on export/import regulations.

Please contact us to discuss shipping options.