The Exhibition of Miniatures at South Kensington. 173 



The Duchesse de la Valliere, by the same. Enamel. — 

 Another, anonymous, very loveable. — A snuff-box, " ex- 

 quisitely enamelled, with the top, bottom, and sides orna- 

 mented with beautiful portrait-miniatures of the celebrated 

 beauties of the Court of Louis XIV. The medallion on the 

 top of the box represents la Duchesse de la Valliere in the 

 centre ; la Duchesse de Fontagnes to the right ; Madame de 

 Maintenon to the left. The medallion on the bottom represents 

 Hortense de Mancini, Duchesse de Mazarin, in the centre; 

 la Marquise de Montespan to the right ; Mdlle. Dupre, " la 

 belle jardiniere de Meudon," to the left. The medallion in 

 front, la Duchesse de Brissac in the centre ; Mdlle. de Blois, 

 Princesse de Oonti, fille de la Duchesse de la Valliere, to the 

 right ; la Oontesse de Grignan, fille de Madame de Sevigne, to 

 the left. The medallion at the back, la Duchesse de Nevers in 

 the centre, the sister, and la Duchesse de Sforce to the right, 

 the niece of la Marquise de Montespan ; Henriette de Ooligni, 

 Contesse de la Suze, to the left. The medallion at the right 

 end represents Ninon de TEnclos in a green dress. The 

 medallion at the left end is a portrait. unknown. This beau- 

 tiful work of art was formerly in the cabinet of the Marquis 

 de la Reignere" (now of Mr. George Bonner) . 



Madame de Mainienon, by the same, enamel, appears to be 

 about the age of twenty-three. Very lovely and engaging 

 — more so than any other portrait we know of this lady. 



The Regent Duke of Orleans. One of the enamels of this 

 famous debauchee, No. 819, is catalogued as " Philippe d'Or- 

 leans, Regent of France, and brother of Louis XIV " (!) So 

 absurd a historical blunder ought not to have been let pass. 

 Indeed, we must say, while making every allowance for the diffi- 

 culties of various kinds which, no doubt, beset the compiler, that 

 the catalogue is not free from some considerable blemishes. The 

 information given under one heading is continually repeated 

 under another ; and this information, even when not incorrect, 

 as in the present instance, is too often twaddling or supere- 

 rogatory. Here are two or three specimens : C( Robert 

 Devereux, Earl of Essex, 1567—1621 [should be 1601]. The 

 favourite of Elizabeth, and the hero of the romantic story of a 

 ring entrusted by him to the Countess of Nottingham, the 

 non-delivery of which was supposed to have consigned him to 

 the scaffold." " Armand Jean du Plessis, Cardinal Richelieu, 

 1585 — 1642. A celebrated French Minister in the time of 

 Louis XIII. , and well known for his persecution of the 

 Huguenots/' No. 1016, catalogued merely as "Portrait of a 

 Gentleman," is, in fact, a copy of a well-known female head 

 by Greuze. ' c Paul Rembrandt van Ryn, an eminent Dutch 

 painter and etcher." " William Cecil, Lord Burleigh, 1520 — 



