Hi all, I'm posting to this topic because of the earlier knowledgeable contributors on the subject of Imperial jewellery. Hopefully some of you are still around and pick up on this.
If Admin/Moderators think I'm in the wrong place with this query, please advise.
I recently acquired this French Second Empire hardstone cameo of Tsarevich Alexander aged about 21, circa 1866.
I'll post my full description below the pic.
My question to the forum is whether anyone has knowledge of this piece or anything like it in the Imperial collections, personal possessions of the family, pictures of the family, pictures of interiors, etc?
These types of cameos were usually made to be gifted to the subject, and if it reached Tsarevich Alexander he may have given it to Maria Feodorovna as a souvenir of his trip to Paris in 1867.
If worn as piece of jewellery it would likely have been worn as a bodice brooch, or perhaps worn clipped onto a string of pearls or similar necklace (it has fittings for both). It could have also been displayed in a picture frame set-up, maybe as one of a pair (see my suggestion below there may have been a matching cameo of Maria Feodorovna).
I'd appreciate comments in this thread to refrain from arguing that it is NOT Tsarevich Alexander, and take it at "face value" as I'm about to post the analysis showing it is indeed Alexander, over on this thread:
http://forum.alexanderpalace.org/index.php?topic=2238.225Thanks so much for any learned contributions.
The future Tsar Alexander III was born 10 March 1845, with the title Grand Duke Alexander Alexandrovich. He became Tsarevich Alexander Alexandrovich on the sudden death of his older brother Nicholas on 24 April 1865. On his deathbed Nicholas expressed the wish that Alexander marry Nicholas' fiancé, Princess Dagmar of Denmark.
Dagmar accepted Alexander's proposal and they married 9 November 1866 in the Imperial Chapel of the Winter Palace in St. Petersburg. Dagmar converted to Orthodox Christianity and took the name Maria Feodorovna.
The following year Tsarevich Alexander travelled with his father Tsar Alexander II to the Paris International Exposition of 1867 (Exposition Universelle d'Art et d'Industrie), at the invitation of Napoleon III.
Tsarevich Alexander was in the carriage with Alexander II and Napoleon III on 6 June 1867 when an assassination attempt on the Tsar occurred after a military review at Longchamp. The Tsarevitch also attended the famous "Three Emperors Dinner" at Café Anglais in Paris on 7 June 1867, the three emperors present being Emperor Napoleon III, Tsar Alexander II, and King Wilhelm I of Prussia.
This cameo portrait of Tsarevitch Alexander was carved by Paul Lebas around 1866-1867. It was probably intended for the Paris Exposition, in hope of attracting the attention of the Russian Royal visitors.
Lebas was patronised by Napoleon III, having carved a cameo of Empress Eugenie in 1855. In 1865 Lebas also prepared the cameo of their son the Prince Imperial (now in The Met, NY). So there is also the possibility Napoleon III recommended Lebas to the Tsarevitch for a sitting in Paris, or that Napoleon III commissioned the cameo as gift to the Russian Royals. Given the timeframe, one has to wonder if this was a wedding portrait, and if there was a matching cameo of Maria Feodorovna.
Paul-Victor LEBAS was a prominent C19th cameo sculptor in Paris, at 19 Rue Guenegaud. He was active 1851-1876.
Lebas exhibited at the Paris Salons and worked with the jewellers Caillot & Peck, specialists in cameo settings.
Around 1851 Lebas carved the famous cameo of the young Queen Victoria for Felix Dafrique. This cameo was based on the portrait by Thomas Sully, painted in 1838 when Queen Victoria was 19 years old. The cameo is now in the Victoria and Albert Museum.
The image of the Tsarevich will be circa 1866, and may be based on photos or a portrait around the time of his wedding.
In his other works, such as the cameo of Queen Victoria, Lebas didn't slavishly follow an original portrait. He was known to reverse the original image, and his cameos have a tendency to idealise the subject, perhaps with a view to capture the essence of their personality in such a minute medium.
The two colour onyx cameo is scratch signed on the obverse "PL" for Paul Lebas. It is set in a fine 18ct gold mount with both brooch and pendant fixtures. The brooch pin and clasp are stamped with the 'eagle's head' French control marks for 18ct gold. Although it doesn't have their hallmark, the mount is almost certainly by Caillot & Peck.
