A French late 19th-century oval devotional shadow-box plaque under convex glass (verre bombé), depicting the Apparition of Our Lady of Lourdes to Saint Bernadette Soubirous. The central scene features detailed chromolithographic cut-out figures of the Virgin Mary in a white robe with a blue sash and gold-lettered halo, alongside a kneeling Bernadette holding a rosary in Pyrenean peasant dress. The composition is set against a dark field enclosed within an ornate inner border of gilt metallic lace thread embroidery, mounted beneath a deep convex oval glass panel in a metal bezel frame with a suspension ring.

Historical & Style Details

• Subject / Sitter: Our Lady of Lourdes and Saint Bernadette Soubirous
• Period: Victorian (1837–1901)
• Origin: France
• Material / Technique: Chromolithography cut-outs, gilt metallic thread lace, convex glass (verre bombé), metal frame
• Markings: Inscribed in French on the halo arch: "JE SUIS L'IMMACULÉE CONCEPTION"
• Decorative Details: Foliate gilt-thread border framing the scene; three-dimensional shadow-box effect beneath curved glass
• Condition: Minor oxidation to external metal rim and hanging loop; minor age toning to interior paper elements; glass and metallic lace border remain in very good preserved condition

History

Following the 1858 Marian apparitions at the Grotto of Massabielle in Lourdes, France, convex glass shadow-box plaques ('cadres en verre bombé') decorated with metallic lace trim became popular devotional souvenirs across Catholic Europe. Housed in oval metal-rimmed frames, these objects combined fine chromolithography with metallic passamenterie to create dimensional domestic shrines for private prayer and display.