Lot #778: Vintage 1900s UK Art Postcard - "Medici Society" - "Madre e Figlia " - Élisabeth Vigée Le Brun - "Paris: Louvre" - "Printed in England"

One Vintage UK 1900s Art Postcard, unused, showing woman holding a child with caption "Mother and Daughter: Madre e Figlia -- Vigée Lebrun - Paris: Louvre". This richly coloured postcard indicates the publisher as "Medici Society, Ld. Printed in England". No Stamp. Never Postally Used. No Message. This Medici Society postcard is a masterpiece of early 20th-century art reproduction, representing the convergence of fine art, high-end British printing, and the "Louvre" series. The subject is one of the most famous portraits of the late 18th century, capturing the intimate bond between the artist and her child. Painted by Élisabeth Vigée Le Brun in 1789, this work is formally titled "Madame Vigée-Lebrun et sa fille, Jeanne-Lucie-Louise, dite Julie." Vigée Le Brun was the premier portraitist to Marie Antoinette. In this painting, she chose to depict herself in a more relaxed, "natural" style influenced by the philosopher Jean-Jacques Rousseau’s ideas on motherhood. The triangular arrangement of the two figures (an "embrace") creates a sense of unity and timelessness. The mother’s gaze is directed at the viewer, while the daughter clings to her, emphasizing a shift from the stiff, formal portraits of the French court to a more sentimental, domestic reality. Founded in 1908 in London, the Medici Society was established specifically to bring high-quality art to the public at an affordable price. Their name was a tribute to the great patrons of the Italian Renaissance. They aimed to achieve "the highest level of fidelity" in their reproductions, often consulting directly with museum curators. This card was part of a prestigious international set that allowed collectors to "visit" the world's greatest museums through their albums (such as this card from "Paris: Louvre"). Unlike the "Oilette" cards from Raphael Tuck (which simulated brushstrokes), the Medici Society prioritized chromocollotype and advanced lithography to replicate the actual colors and tones of the original canvas as accurately as possible. The fact this card was "Printed in England" indicates the Society’s commitment to British craftsmanship, using their specialized presses to ensure the "richly coloured" finish of this card. The inclusion of the Italian title ("Madre e Figlia") alongside the English and French reflects the Society’s global distribution network. They were staples in museum gift shops from London to Paris to Florence. Dimensions: 9 mm x 14 mm Pickup category timeslot {A}