18th Century - Miniature Portrait of the King of Poland and Lithuania - Stanislaw August Poniatowski

Dimensions : 8 x 5 cm,
Bezel Gold, (Examination on Spectrometer showed Gold 75% or 18 carats) Weight : 20.2 grams, Back plate gilded brass.
Miniature portrait of the last king of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, Stanislaw August Poniatowski. Painted on bone, it depicts the king in the uniform of the Horse Guards, with the blue ribbon of the Order of the White Eagle passing over his shoulder.
The king is depicted in a dignified pose, with a gently marked smile and calm gaze, which convey his intellectual character and reformist aspirations. The intricately rendered details of the uniform and distinguished color scheme recall official portraits of the monarch inspired by the works of painters such as Marcello Bacciarelli.
The gold, elegant frame emphasizes the jewel-like nature of this miniature, which may have originally served as a personal medallion, intended for the king's close associates or important court figures. Works of this type were highly prized during the Age of Enlightenment and testify to the high social standing of the owner.
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Stanislaw August Poniatowski (1732-1798) was the last king of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth (1764-1795), known as a reformer, patron of the arts and initiator of the Great Sejm, which passed the May 3 Constitution. He ascended the throne with the support of Tsarina Catherine II, but sought to make Poland independent of Russian influence. His reign coincided with the country's decline, when internal reforms and attempts to strengthen royal power met resistance from the magnates and interference from neighboring powers, leading to the partition of Poland.
As a patron of art and culture, Poniatowski created the Royal Baths, supported painters such as Marcello Bacciarelli, and founded the School of Knighthood. Although his reign ended with his abdication in 1795 after the Third Partition, his legacy includes modern Enlightenment ideas that contributed to Poland's subsequent rebirth. He spent the last years of his life in St. Petersburg, where he died in 1798.
Condition as shown in photos.