This item is a rare and early survival of oil painting on scagliola. Scagliola is a technique for producing stucco columns, sculptures and other architectural elements that resemble inlays in marble and semi-precious stones. The Scagliola technique came into fashion in 17th-century in Tuscany as an effective substitute for marble inlays. Scagliola is a composite substance thought to have been made from selenite, glue and natural pigments, imitating marble and other hard stones. The technique eventually spread throughout Europe. However oil paintings on scagliola are now extremely rare and are well sought after objects particularly early examples such as this.From the middle of the 15th century the portrait of an individual on horseback became a pictorial genre in its own right and an important style of art. From Francis I to Napoleon Bonaparte even though fashions evolved the message remained the same - to underline and glorify an individual’s importance. Artists continually d...