Catalogues

Lady at Burning Altar

Sené' s portraits often point to the sitter' s interests or to the purpose of the miniature ¹ . In this portrait of a lady at a burning altar it becomes clear that it was supposed to be a gift for the young lady' s lover. The fire symbolizes hope, which is additionally emphasized by the enclosed text: sweet memory, support me in my hope ² .The lady' s long curly hair and her light dress indicate an erotic dimension.Though Sené usually painted his sitters in the light, he was very inventive with respect to their postures. Often he represented them down to their hips, thus including their hands.

B.P.

¹ On the occasion of the exhibition "100 ans de miniatures suisses, 1780-1880" from 1999 to 2000 in the Historical Museum Lausanne a rich selection of miniatures by Sené could be used for comparison. The Lady at the Burning Altar was dated around 1780 in the publication which accompanied the exhibition; however, the portrait was probably created around 1794. Cf. Genoud 1999, p. 34.

² "Doux souvenir tien[s] moi lieu d' espéran[ce]".