AN ENAMEL MINIATURE, SALOMON GUILLAUME COUNIS, SIGNED: COUNIS, CIRCA 1810 | An enamel miniature, Salomon Guillaume Counis, signed: Counis, circa 1810

oval, wearing the white uniform with black and gold trimming of the 1st Westphalian Line Infantry Regiment, the gold epaulettes of a colonel, and the sash, star and badge of the Legion of Honour, gold bezel, later openwork border set with pearls and coloured green stones, mounted on a rectangular plush-covered panel with easel strut MN 11432GN 262

Jerome Napoléon, King of Westphalia (1784-1860);
Prince Napoléon, 'Plon-Plon' (1822-1891);
Prince Victor Napoléon (1862-1926);
Prince Louis Napoléon (1914-1997)

Miniature with minor nick to enamel on left cheek, not really evident with naked eye, otherwise pristine condition. Frame in good order.
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

Salomon Guillaume Counis (1785–1859) initially studied enamelling for bijouterie in the city of his birth, Geneva, before moving to Paris in 1806 to work in the studio of Anne Louis Girodet. In 1810 he exhibited at the Salon for the first time – ‘Plusieurs portraits peints sur émail’ (Livret no. 1128) and ‘Portrait en émail de S.M. le Roi de Westphalie, d’après Gérard’ (Livret no. 226). Baron Gérard introduced him to Elisa Baciocchi, Napoléon's eldest sister, Grand Duchess of Tuscany, who invited him to Florence and appointed him painter to the court. After the fall of Napoléon, Counis moved to Geneva and later to Paris, where his patrons included the Duchess of Berry. In 1830, precipitated perhaps by the July Revolution, he moved again, finally settling in Florence. In 1842 he published Quelques souvenirs suivis d’une dissertation sur l’émail, sur la porcelain et d’un traité à l’usage du peintre en émail, which he had written some eleven years earlier.