Erotic Miniature Painting, 18th Century. Photo courtesy M.S.Rau Antiques.

Signed and dated "FB 11 1782". Price: $7,850

A young woman cavorts with her playful pooches in this delightful 18th-century erotic miniature. Painted after a provocative boudoir scene by Nicolas Lafrensen the Younger, a Swedish artist working in France, this tantalizing scene was meant for private enjoyment, as it is concealed within a folding case of green velvet.

Also known as Nicolas Lavreince or Lawrence, Lafrensen was a contemporary of Jean-Honore Fragonard, who also painted several paintings touching on this theme, and was inspired by the paintings of Watteau. He was born in October 1737 in Stockholm where he studied under his father, the miniaturist Niclas Lafrensen the Elder (1698-1756), and attended the Swedish Academy. From 1762-1769, he lived in Paris, most likely making his living as a miniaturist. He returned to Stockholm in 1769 to paint a number of miniature portraits for the Court, and was made a member of the Academy in 1773. He returned to Paris in 1774, where he painted fête galante, or courtship party, subjects in miniature and gouache, many of which were engraved. He left Paris for a final time at the start of the French Revolution, returning in 1791 to Stockholm. He remained here for the rest of his life, painting historical subjects in gouache and portraits in miniature, until his death in December 1807. Today, his works are housed in the famed Wallace Collection and the Duke of Buccleuch Collection.

A very similar painting is included in The Complete Book of Erotic Art, page I 74, by Phyllis and Eberhard Kronhausen.