French 19th Century Reversal Image, Which is My Portrait? organic 2" across at base and

2" across at base and 2 7/8" across at lip

I purchased it from the estate sale of an artist

I find it pretty transporting

There is no inset on the back

with one dark spot as documented in photos

French 19th Century Reversal Image, Which is My Portrait? organic 2" across at base andWhat a curiosity! I was pretty excited to find this little antique French reversal drawing, which I believe dates to the 1840s or so, when optical illusions because a big thing in France (check out the phnakisticopes published by Joseph Plateau) and reversal portraits were circulated. (I'm including one by Daumier in the photos) This one has a very contemporary feel to me, perhaps in part because the human face keeps reminding me of the late great