Jean-Baptiste SINGRY (Nancy, 1782 - Paris, 1824) Portrait of a young man in uniform, seated, drawing, known as Portrait of Paul Nikolaïevitch Demidoff Watercolour and gum arabic on ivory Signed and dated 'Singry / 1817' lower right CIC n° 2024/BE01332/CE Wood and gilded stucco frame Portrait of a gentleman seated wearing a uniform, watercolour and gum arabic on ivory, signed and dated, by J.-B. Singry 7.67 x 5.11 in. 19.5 x 13.0 cm Provenance: Anonymous sale; New York, Christie's, 20 June 2007, no. 39 (sold for $24,000) ; Galerie Terrades, Paris, in 2007; Pierre Jourdan-Barry Collection (1926-2016); Then by descent; Private collection, Belgium Exhibitions: French Paintings, Sculptures and Drawings, 1700-1900, Paris, Galerie Terrades, 2007, no. 14 (identified as a portrait of Paul Nikolaïevitch Demidoff) (Small crack top left and slight traces of fungus) A second version was in the Pohl-Ströher collection. The attribution to Demidoff does not seem to be based on concrete evidence. The Nancy-born Jean-Baptiste Singry learnt the art of painting first from his father, who was a painter by trade, and then joined the studios of François-André Vincent and Jean-Baptiste Isabey. He subsequently exhibited regularly at the Salon from 1806 to 1824, specialising in portraits of actors. In addition to his clientele of actors, he painted portraits of officers and then families, offering a panorama of Parisian high society at the time. This miniature has been presented as a portrait of Paul Demidoff, but this identification does not seem to be based on concrete evidence. Related work: An unsigned version on card, formerly in the collection of Dr. Erika Pohl-Ströher (1919-2016), illustrated in: Margareta Friesen (ed.), Französische Miniaturen 1770-1880, Darmstadt, 2001, fig. 389, p. 431 (no attribution), from the Sotheby's sale, Geneva, 11 May 1983, no. 88 (as "French School, circa 1820", sold for CHF 3,000). Jean-Baptiste SINGRY (Nancy, 1782 - Paris, 1824) 19.5 x 13.0 cm A second version was in the Pohl-Ströher collection. The attribution to Demidoff does not seem to be based on concrete evidence. The Nancy-born Jean-Baptiste Singry learnt the art of painting first from his father, who was a painter by trade, and then joined the studios of François-André Vincent and Jean-Baptiste Isabey. He subsequently exhibited regularly at the Salon from 1806 to 1824, specialising in portraits of actors. In addition to his clientele of actors, he painted portraits of officers and then families, offering a panorama of Parisian high society at the time. This miniature has been presented as a portrait of Paul Demidoff, but this identification does not seem to be based on concrete evidence. Related work: An unsigned version on card, formerly in the collection of Dr. Erika Pohl-Ströher (1919-2016), illustrated in: Margareta Friesen (ed.), Französische Miniaturen 1770-1880, Darmstadt, 2001, fig. 389, p. 431 (no attribution), from the Sotheby's sale, Geneva, 11 May 1983, no. 88 (as "French School, circa 1820", sold for CHF 3,000).