Lady in Blue Dress
Louis Marie Sicard, called Sicardi
Harmoniously inserted into the small oval, this portrait of a lady intrigues with its warmth and its refreshing frankness. Pose and facial expression are both unpretentious; her adornment is restricted to the lilac blossoms in her hair, and a grey-brown colour was chosen for the background. The sitter wears her hair according to the prevailing fashion, highly styled with curls at the side, but unpowdered. This was exceptional in France, yet here it may have been due to the lady’s youth.
Her hairstyle and clothing allow the miniature to be dated to the early 1780s. At that time hairstyles became more comfortable compared to the often bizarrely exaggerated “elevations” of the late 1770s. Beneath her laced blue bodice the unknown sitter wears a flimsy chemise, its sleeves leaving her shoulders uncovered.
In the early 1780s Sicardi took over Pasquier’s position as official miniature painter for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.1 He painted many portraits of the king, which were mounted on boxes and served as diplomatic gifts. As these portraits were only allowed to measure a few centimetres, Sicardi was a particularly suitable artist, as he knew how to render even the smallest details with the greatest accuracy.
The gold setting enabled the miniature to be worn on a chain. It is conceivable, though, that the loop was attached subsequently and that the framing was originally designed for the miniature to be worn as a brooch.2
B. P.