0
6,858  PAGES BROWSED TODAY PAGES TODAY • 0  ANTIQUES UPLOADED TODAY NEW ARRIVALS
Sorted by
Per page
DEALER LOGIN
Selling Antiques Logo
0
Saved
Home
Return
Dealer Login
500+ Shops
Dealers
Newly Added
0
Saved
Sort Order
Latest
Price Low
Price High
sellingantiques.co.uk
ID #SA1228010
FOR SALE
£3,300
Email Buy
Save
Richard Cosway Beautiful Portrait of Mrs Leonard
Wigs on the Green
for sale €3,861     $4,191
£3,300
Wigs on the Green

Wigs on the Green

Sellingantiques Verified Since May 2020
View Dealers Stock Page
  • About Us
    Small portraiture of character & historical interest
Relevant Links
Id #SA1228010
PDF SHARE
SAVE

Richard Cosway Beautiful Portrait of Mrs Leonard

18th century
Description

This fine portrait was painted in 1797 during a period when, despite many personal traumas including the death of his six-year-old daughter, Richard Cosway produced some of his best work. The 1790s was also a pivotal time for fashion as lighter weight fabrics were more readily available and styles moved towards the simpler lines associated with the Regency period. Cosway had an eye for fashion details and almost certainly influenced his sitters’ colour and style choices.

In this portrait Mrs Leonard is shown wearing a cornflower blue and white dress with a fichu cover-up for modesty. Her abundant curls are secured with a matching blue bandeau and topped with a light kerchief that is knotted her chin.

Painted in Cosway’s typical palette of pastel shades, the portrait is fully signed and dated on the backing card ‘Rdus Cosway / R. A. / Primarius Pictor / Serenissimi Walliae / Principis / Pinxt: / 1797’. It is set in an attractive gold frame with a border of seed pearls, the reverse engraved ‘Mrs Leonard’ and glazed to reveal the artist’s flamboyant signature.

Framed Size: 82 x 69mm

Provenance: Bonhams, 25 November 1998

Ivory Exemption Ref.: WXMD4PLJ

Physical Dimensions
Height
8cm (3.15")
Width
7cm (2.76")
Declaration

Wigs on the Green has dated this Georgian Portrait Miniature Painting to the 18th Century.

Reference Numbers
Sellingantiques Reference
SA1228010
Dealers Internal Reference
7746
Dealers Notes

All prices include UK postage. International shipping will be at cost.

Description
This fine portrait was painted in 1797 during a period when, despite many personal traumas including the death of his six-year-old daughter, Richard Cosway produced some of his best work.
“
The 1790s was also a pivotal time for fashion as lighter weight fabrics were more readily available and styles moved towards the simpler lines associated with the Regency period.
Wigs on the Green

Cosway had an eye for fashion details and almost certainly influenced his sitters’ colour and style choices.

fig 1. An oval Georgian portrait miniature depicting a woman with curled hair in a blue dress, enclosed within a pearl-set frame.
fig 1. Richard Cosway Beautiful Portrait of Mrs Leonard

In this portrait Mrs Leonard is shown wearing a cornflower blue and white dress with a fichu cover-up for modesty. Her abundant curls are secured with a matching blue bandeau and topped with a light kerchief that is knotted her chin.

fig 2. An oval Georgian portrait miniature depicting a woman with curled hair in a blue dress, enclosed within a pearl-set frame.
fig 2. Richard Cosway Beautiful Portrait of Mrs Leonard

Painted in Cosway’s typical palette of pastel shades, the portrait is fully signed and dated on the backing card ‘Rdus Cosway / R. A. / Primarius Pictor / Serenissimi Walliae / Principis / Pinxt: / 1797’. It is set in an attractive gold frame with a border of seed pearls, the reverse engraved ‘Mrs Leonard’ and glazed to reveal the artist’s flamboyant signature.

Framed Size: 82 x 69mm

Provenance: Bonhams, 25 November 1998

Ivory Exemption Ref.: WXMD4PLJ

Height
8cm (3.15")
Width
7cm (2.76")
Date of Manufacture

Wigs on the Green has dated this Georgian Portrait Miniature Painting to the 18th Century.

Reference Numbers
Sellingantiques Ref
SA1228010
Dealers Internal Ref
7746
Wigs on the Green
Wigs on the Green
Sellingantiques verified Since May 2020

Small portraiture of character & historical interest

Dealer Profile

You can view the stock and full dealer information on the Wigs on the Green Profile Page

Relevant Links
PDF SHARE
SAVE
An oval Georgian portrait miniature depicting a woman with curled hair in a blue dress, enclosed within a pearl-set frame.
1 / 4
Archive I An oval Georgian portrait miniature depicting a woman with curled hair in a blue dress, enclosed within a pearl-set frame.

Richard Cosway Beautiful Portrait of Mrs Leonard

Archive II An oval Georgian portrait miniature depicting a woman with curled hair in a blue dress, enclosed within a pearl-set frame. View II
Archive III An oval Georgian portrait miniature depicting a woman with curled hair in a blue dress, enclosed within a pearl-set frame. View III
Archive IV An oval Georgian portrait miniature depicting a woman with curled hair in a blue dress, enclosed within a pearl-set frame. View IV
Enlarged Archival View
Wigs on the Green

Wigs on the Green
Telephone 07962 257915
Location
York
Yorkshire
United Kingdom
Dealer Profile Page sellingantiques.co.uk/wigsonthegreen
Verified Since May 2020
Items For Sale 86
Items Sold 300
Wigs on the Green
Wigs on the Green
Verified Since May 2020
View Dealer Info
Location: York, Yorkshire, United Kingdom
Profile: sellingantiques.co.uk/wigsonthegreen
Verified
May 2020
For Sale
86
Sold
300
An oval Georgian portrait miniature depicting a woman with curled hair in a blue dress, enclosed within a pearl-set frame.
Richard Cosway Beautiful Portrait of Mrs Leonard
Ref: SA1228010
An oval Georgian portrait miniature depicting a woman with curled hair in a blue dress, enclosed within a pearl-set frame.
Detail View 1
Detail View 2
Detail View 3
Archival Detail

Strictly Vetted Dealers

Every single antique dealer on our platform is individually approved by our internal team. We verify their professional trade history, ethical standards, and photographic quality to ensure a secure, high-standard buying environment. Upon joining, every dealer agrees to a strict 9-point code of conduct. While issues can occasionally arise, our dealers typically resolve them swiftly and directly with the buyer. In fact, since our founding in 2002, Sellingantiques has only had to step in to help resolve an issue on roughly five occasions—a true testament to the quality of our dealers and their dedication to your happiness.

Secure Transit

Our dealers are highly experienced in packing and shipping fragile, high-value antiques. Because you are in direct contact with the dealer, you will be able to easily go through all available shipping and insurance options together to ensure your item arrives safely.

The Sustainable Choice

Antiques are the ultimate green purchase. By choosing historical pieces over newly manufactured goods, you completely eliminate the carbon footprint of modern mass production while preserving exceptional, timeless craftsmanship.

FAQs

A portrait miniature is a small-scale painting, typically executed in watercolour on ivory, vellum, or paper, popular from the 16th to 19th centuries. These items were designed to be portable keepsakes, worn as jewellery, or carried in lockets.

Georgian portrait miniatures were commonly painted using watercolour and gouache on thin sheets of ivory or card. Frames were frequently crafted from gold, silver, or pinchbeck, often embellished with split pearls, enamel, or hair lockets on the reverse.

Authentic pieces feature period-correct brushwork, delicate hatching techniques, period costume details, and genuine materials such as ivory substrates or convex glass covers. Signatures, maker marks, and original pearl or gold mountings also assist with identification.

Portrait miniatures can be displayed within gallery wall arrangements, set upon picture easels on bookshelves, or framed in shadow boxes to highlight their small scale alongside contemporary decor.

Keep portrait miniatures out of direct sunlight and extreme humidity, as watercolour pigments fade and organic substrates can warp. Dust the exterior glass gently with a soft dry cloth and avoid chemical cleaners.
items
Add keywords to the filter
Price
£100
£250000
Era
Movements
Material
Origin
Stock Location
Freshness
Online Payments
Categories