The Tansey Miniatures Foundation

Die Miniatur Über den Künstler

The Tansey Miniatures Foundation

DE
The Miniature About the Artist

Lady in White Dress with Light Blue Shawl

Jean-Baptiste Singry

In the early 19th century Singry’s teacher Isabey placed his sitters in front of a cloudy sky painted in watercolours, thus establishing a new representation in French miniature painting. As we can see in this picture Singry adopted this new style. However,posture and colouring show more similarity to works by Mansion, another student of Isabey’s. It is possible that Singry and Mansion, who had similar views on portrait painting, exchanged ideas and tips.
Curiously, due to a freak of nature, Isabey, Singry and Mansion looked startlingly alike.1
B. P.

1 Compare the portraits showing Singry in the Louvre (RF 41170) and in the Collection of M. Hebert, sold at Sotheby's June 9, 1986, no.106 with the one of Mansion from the Tansey Collection (inv.-no. 10506) and the portrait of Isabey painted by Gérard