Antique Original Miniature Oil on Copper Portrait | Michel Jacobs, Washington d.c. c.1910

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A jewel-like early 20th-century miniature portrait by Michel Jacobs, painted in oil on copper and presented in its period frame … Read more A jewel-like early 20th-century miniature portrait by Michel Jacobs, painted in oil on copper and presented in its period frame with original liner and backing retained. Small in scale but rich in presence, the portrait depicts a woman in a soft pink hat and pale blouse against a cool, atmospheric ground — a quietly elegant composition with the intimacy of a cabinet painting and the decorative pull of a romantic parlor portrait.

Jacobs was not merely a working portraitist, but an artist, educator, theorist, and arts organizer with meaningful ties to Washington, D.C. He was one of the primary organizers of the Arts Club of Washington and later became known for his writings on color, composition, and portrait painting. That larger artistic context gives this small work additional interest: it is not only a decorative miniature, but a finely scaled portrait connected to an artist deeply engaged with the practice and teaching of painting.

The copper support gives the surface a luminous, jewel-like quality, allowing the face, hat, and cool background tones to hold light beautifully. The scale makes it especially suited to a vanity, bookshelf, powder room, intimate portrait wall, or layered old-world interior where smaller works create depth and character.

The painting retains a worn but visible signature at the lower right. The original backing bears a handwritten attribution to “Michel Jacobs” and “Washington, D.C.,” further supporting the identification and preserving the work’s period history. Presented with charming age to the frame, liner, and backing, this piece carries the kind of quiet provenance and lived-in elegance that makes small antique portraits so compelling. See less