Maison Raoul et Hideux - Paire de miniature sur email représ - Lot 302

Maison Raoul et Hideux - Paire de miniature sur email représentant un couple de dignitaire indien Pair of miniatures on enamel representing a couple of Indian dignitary House of Raoul and Hideux From 1858, British domination of India was completed with the creation of the British Raj. The Maharadja and Indian dignitaries were major consumers of Western luxury goods. Our miniatures are part of the Indian elite's quest for the very best. In 1898, a new boutique caused a sensation in Paris, located on rue Meyerbeer, a stone's throw from the Opéra. It was the Maison Raoul et Hideux, and all the newspapers were unanimous in saying that this was now the place to find the finest enamels. On November 30, 1898, Le Figaro wrote: "The finest enamels in the Narbonne museum, even those by the famous Limousin painter Pierre Raymond, are no better than the new miniatures in enamel on copper by Raoul Hideux, which are currently the talk of the art world. It's a marvellous discovery, the models of which can be seen at Raoul Hideux, rue Meyerbeer. It is to be recommended to artists and all people of good taste" at the illustrious rue de la Paix. And in the 1910s, the establishment was joined by the famous Swiss enamel painter Gabriel Dufaux. It's hardly surprising, then, that many Indian notables flocked to this address to have their portraits painted by the greatest Parisian craftsmen of their time.