PRINTS WITH PAPER LACE WORK

[Lace work]: The Virgin Mary with Christ Child, and Saint Elizabeth. France, 18th century (print, c.1700).

Two devotional prints, probably, to judge by the identical shape of the image, from the same series, and made c.1700. They depict respectively the medieval saint Elizabeth of Hungary, and the Virgin Mary with Christ Child. Each print has, in the eighteenth century, been cut to the border of the image, ruled at its edge in gilt and placed within a new, deep and intricate border of paper lacework, showing flowers and foliage, carefully decorated with gold. Each complete paper object has been laid on a backing of black felt, and glazed and framed in a decorative wooden frame, painted in gilt. The combination of the black, white and gold, with the intricacy of the work, has a vivid effect.

Two artworks of print and paper lacework, as described above, size in frames 37.7 cms. x 28.3 cms. (Saint Elizabeth) and 35.2 cms. x 25.8 cms. (Virgin Mary). The images from the prints shaped like windows (rectangular with top side curved), 11 cms. x 10.6 cms. (the image of Saint Elizabeth slightly longer as it includes the printed caption "S.te Elisabeth"). The frame to the Saint Elizabeth print slightly chipped.