Fine 1903 Portrait of Victorian Woman in Oil on Porcelain

N.pl, 1903. Very good to near-fine.. A very fine portrait of a woman rendered in oil paint on porcelain, painted by an artist named F.I. Weeks in 1903. The woman, who remains unidentified, wears a pink dress with her brunette hair in neat braids against a mottled brown background. Her clothing and affect date her from the 1860s, leading us to believe that Weeks has copied this portrait from an existing Victorian portrait that he had access to, perhaps to practice his craft. Interestingly, a soft raking light reveals that he at some point removed and revised the eyes of his subject-- perhaps to change the color, or better capture her expression? Weeks is not listed in Benezit (Grove/Oxford Art Online) and we have been unable to track down any of his other art. Porcelain tile measures approx. 5" by 4", with the oval portrait measuring approx. 3" by 2". Light graphite measuring lines visible along edges. Oil painting and portraiture on porcelain became increasingly popular during the late 19th and early 20th centuries (roughly 1870 to 1920), due to the medium's beauty and ability to capture detail. It also lasted longer than canvas. Following the Industrial Revolution and the advent of affordable photographic portraiture (i.e. cabinet cards), such a highly skilled, delicate, and expensive means of capturing a likeness became highlight sought after by those in the upper classes with disposable income.