Sold to the Art Institute of Chicago

This rediscovered painting represents a significant addition to the catalogue of Melanie de Comolera, one of the most refined still-life painters active in nineteenth-century Europe. A work produced during her long stay in London, as indicated by the inscription on the reverse of the painting.

The inscription on the reverse - Melanie de Comolera, peintre de S. A. R. la Duchesse de Clarence - is of particular importance. It not only confirms the artist's authorship but also situates the work within her long and distinguished stay in London, where she enjoyed the patronage of Adelaide of Saxe-Meiningen, Duchess of Clarence and future Queen Consort of William IV.

The painting therefore offers valuable new evidence of Comolera's activity in England and of her connection to the British royal circle.

As such, it constitutes an important rediscovery within the artist's oeuvre and deepens our understanding of her international career.