A hauntingly beautiful pair of very fine devotional portraits, reverse painted on glass,  known in France as "Verre Eglomisé" preserved in their original ebonised wood frames with delicate gilt ormolu embellishment. 
 
They have exceptional presence.
 
Depicting Christ crowned with thorns and the sorrowful Mary, these deeply atmospheric works date to the mid 19th century and carry the quiet romance and patina only genuine age can create.
 
Each portrait was painted in reverse on the glass,  an intricate and highly skilled technique prized for its luminous, almost ethereal quality. Time has softened the surfaces beautifully, while the hand-applied ormolu laurel borders and sunflower crests retain their rich decorative presence.
 
Found in France, the pair evokes the mood of a dimly lit chapel, an old château interior, or a carefully collected European cabinet of curiosities. Whether displayed as devotional objects or purely for their dramatic decorative impact, they bring depth, history, and soul to a space.
 
Ex-Voto pieces of this quality and in this good a condition, both the painting and the frames are a rare find, especially when they are found as an original pair.
 
Dating from the mid 1800s, each  frame shows the passage of time and devotion in their patina; on the wooden frames, the ormolu and slight rubbing to the gilt hand painted edging. There is a brass hook to hang both paintings.
 
They measure 8.25" by 6"