AN ITALIAN MICROMOSAIC PLAQUE

The subject depicted in this micromosaic, which can be seen in many differing guises in micromosaics, appears to have originated with Giacomo Raffaelli (1743-1836). The butterfly was also reproduced in many versions. A gold-mounted hardstone snuff-box attributed to Johann- Christian Neuber with a similar scene on the cover and with a butterfly on the reverse, both attributed to Raffaelli, can be found in J. H. Gabriel, The Gilbert Collection of Micromosaics, London, 2000, p.57 and in C. Truman, The Gilbert Collection of Gold Boxes, Los Angeles, 1991, no. 82. Several micromosaics after the same composition are illustrated in D. Petochi, M. Alfieri and M. Grazia Branchetti, I mosaici minuti Romani dei secoli XVIII e XIX, Rome, 1981, figs. 19-22.