Oil Portrait Painting, 1848

Purchased 25 years ago from an antique dealer, unframed and in its original condition. It has been carefully relined and undergone very minor restoration of the paintwork – remaining in its original state ever since. There are tiny white areas where the paint has chipped. No frame, just a strip of paper glued on by the framer. 1848 was the year of Louis-Philippe's abdication, followed by a short-lived regime and the proclamation of the Republic…