A fine enamel miniature of a nobleman called Prince N. S. Volkonsky, with powdered curly hair and sideburns, in dark blue uniform with gold embroidered high collar, white stock, wearing the badge of the Imperial Russian Order of St. George the Martyr and Vanquisher

Details

PETR OSIPOVICH ROSSI (RUSSIAN, 1761-1831)
A fine enamel miniature of a nobleman called Prince N. S. Volkonsky, with powdered curly hair and sideburns, in dark blue uniform with gold embroidered high collar, white stock, wearing the badge of the Imperial Russian Order of St. George the Martyr and Vanquisher
signed 'de Rossi f:' (lower right)
enamel on copper
oval, 2 3/16 in. (56 mm.) high, gold bezel

Provenance

A. Vsevolozhskii, in 1909 (as portrait of Prince N. S. Volkonsky).
David David-Weill (1871-1952), Neuilly-sur-Seine, no. 4007.
Sold by Wildenstein's, Paris, to Sir Charles Clore (1905-1979).
The Clore Collection of Portrait Miniatures, part II, Sotheby's, London, 10 November 1986, lot 161 (sitter unidentified).

Literature

N. N. Vrangel, Miniatura v Rossii, St. Petersburg, 1909, illustrated opp. p. 38 (sitter identified).
H. Clouzot, Dictionnaire des miniaturistes sur émail, Paris, 1924, p. 174 (sitter unidentified).
L. Gillet/C. Jeannerat/H. Clouzot, Miniatures and Enamels from the D. David-Weill Collection, Paris, 1957, p. 488, no. 350, illustrated p. 489 (sitter unidentified).
G. N. Komelova, Russian Enamel Miniatures of 18th to 19th century, St. Petersburg, 1995, pp. 234, 309 note 6, 319, illustrated p. 235 fig. 80 (sitter unidentified).

Exhibited

Musée Galliéra, Paris, Exposition de la Verriere et de l'Emaillerie modernes. Section rétrospective, 1923, no. 256
(lent by D. David-Weill).
London, Garrard's, An exhibition of important 18th century & early 19th century miniatures and enamels at Garrard, 1961, no. 350.

Special Notice

VAT rate of 5% is payable on hammer price plus buyer's premium.

Further Details

END OF SALE

Lot Essay

In 1769 Catherine the Great signed the statute of the Military Order of St. George the Great Martyr and the Vanquisher which was awarded for service and valour and was considered Imperial Russia's highest exclusive military order. It had four classes and the sitter in the present miniature is wearing the third class awarded to officers and generals for special gallantry. The orange ribbon with three black stripes were the Russian colours of military glory and symbolised fire and gunpowder.
Galina N. Komelova (op. cit., p. 332) praises the work of Petr Osipovich Rossi, also known as Pietro de Rossi, thus: 'His works remarkable not only for the virtuosity and brilliant colouring, but for highlighting strong features of the model, have survived in very small numbers.'

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