NEW YORK
2019
19th century Bronze-framed portrait miniature painted on paper; Rooster tail feathers and wood mount
24″ x 24″

The miniature gouache portrait is early 19th century, German or Austrian, its subject a somewhat grave matron dressed in somber colors, the only ornament her lace collar. She has been set in a darkly flamboyant frame of iridescent rooster tail feathers.

In 18th century English and French gardens, a folly was a faux building, such as a Roman or Chinese temple or a ruined abbey, evoking another time and place, often symbolizing Classical virtues. Ours is a contemporary take on the folly, creating the illusion of the wild world overtaking the civilized and allowing for a new ideal of beauty.

All parts of this decorative work are unique and were assembled by hand, by Cordelia Lawton and Patrick Mull, in their Long Island City design studio.