Henryk Lubomirski as a Genius of Fame

This miniature allegorical portrait depicts Henryk Lubomirski in his childhood as a genius of fame. This is an enamel portrait on copper, framed in a gilded frame with a sapphire enamel border. The boy is depicted with wings, holding a laurel wreath in his hand a quiver lying at his feet. The miniature was painted by Jacques Thouron in 1789 based on a popular and oft-copied composition by Elisabeth Vigée-Lebrun, and belongs to a large collection of representations of little Henry.
As a child, Lubomirski was the ward of his aunt, Izabela Lubomirska, née Czartoryska, who was so captivated by the young boy’s beauty that asked his parents to hand over their son to her care. Izabela took Henryk on a long journey across Europe, during which she enabled him to gain knowledge and meet the most eminent artists.
Inspired by her great love for the child, she funded several of his representations. The portraits were created by such great artists as Angelika Kauffmann, Antonio Canova, Anne Seymour Damer, Mary Cosway and the already mentioned Elisabeth Vigée-Lebrun. The images of the boy filled his aunt’s residence to the brim, which was sometimes the cause of jokes.
The portrait perfectly fits with the tastes of the period. Henry’s delicate beauty allowed artists to freely create portraits in the then fashionable antique convention.