Lot 170: Joseph Lee (1780-1859)

a nude, wearing pearl bracelet, stretched out on a red velvet covered day bed, a column, lucious garden and volcano behind her
enamel, signed on the counter-enamel From the celebrated Picture of/ Titian/ called the Tanjore Venus/ Painted by Joseph Lee/ 1810 with a further deleted inscription, gilt-metal mount stamped ENAMEL.J.LEE
rectangular, 142mm. (5 5/8in.) high

The present lot would appear to be based on a variant of Titian's "Venus of Urbino", painted in 1538 and now in the Uffizi Gallery, Florence. However it has not been possible to find an exact prototype with the same setting.
Lee's title "The Tanjore Venus" may be a reference to the western enamelling technique being similar to the Southern Indian technique of Tanjore painting. The latter involved adornment with semi-precious stones, pearls, glass pieces and gold. The main characteristics (as with enamelling) being rich vibrant colours and fine artistic work.