Austrian Artist: Otto Gosse

Caroline Sabina Victoria de Poulhariez-Cavanac
(standing, left; 1792-ca. 1819) and
Aimé-Jacques Poulhariez-Cavanac
(seated, right; 1790-1836), Playing with a Bird

Austrian
dated 1797
by Otto Gosse
(signed lower right, "Otto Gos/se / 1797")
3 inches diameter (sight)

watercolor on ivory; housed under glass in a gilt metal surround
that is further set within a wooden frame (not pictured)

The subjects are the young children of Jean-Baptiste André Poulharie
(1790-1836), the Marquis of Cavanac, and his wife,
Lady Louise Béatrix de la Braz (1764-1818). Three years after this
portrait miniature was painted, the children's father died unexpectedly,
and, at the age of ten, Aimé-Jacques (seated, right) became the next
Marquis de Cavanac.

In 1816, at the age of 24, Caroline Sabina Victoria (standing, left)
married Charles-René de Bombelles (1784-1856), who would
later succeed his older brother, Louis Philippe de Bombelles
as Compte de Bombelles (1780-1843), upon his death in 1843.

A view of the portrait outside of its case, allowing the
colors and brush strokes to be seen more clearly without
the distortion caused by the protective glass lens of the case
(Click + symbol above for an enlarged view)

Closeup view of the artist's signature and date. Note the unusual "broken"
signature (the surname "Gosse" divided on two lines as Go/se). Note, too,
that in old German, an upper case "S" is equivalent to a double lowercase "s" --
thus, the artist's name would today be spelled "Gosse", not "Gose".
(Click + symbol above for an enlarged view)

A view of the backing paper affixed to the reverse of the portrait
miniature, upon which a later inscription (circa 1820-1850) is written
in old French. Translated into English, the inscription reads, "The little
boy holding a bird is Aimé-Jacque de Poullyariez [sic.] Cavanac.
The other child is his sister, Caroline de Poullyariez [sic.] Cavanac,
later Countess of Bombelles.

About the Artist: Thus far, the identity of Otto Gosse has been difficult to pinpoint. He may have been related to Thomas Gosse (active in London during the same period) or Pierre Gos (Swiss-born, active in Paris during the same period).