Portrait miniature

A portrait miniature is a miniature portrait painting, usually executed in gouache or watercolor.

Materials

Miniatures are painted in oil, watercolor and enamel, but chiefly in watercolor. Many Dutch and German miniatures were painted in oil, and as a rule these are on copper; and there are portraits in the same medium, and often on the same material, attributed to many of the great Italian artists, notably those of the Bologna school. Samuel Cooper is said to have executed a few paintings in oil on copper.

Related Topics:
Oil - Watercolor - Enamel - Copper - Bologna

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From about 1650 onwards many fine miniatures were executed in enamel. Jean Petitot (1607–1691) was the greatest worker in this material, and painted his finest portraits in Paris for Louis XIV of France. His son succeeded him in the same profession. Other artists in enamel were Christian Friedrich Zincke (died 1767), Heinrich Hurter (1734–1799), David Liot, Paul Prieur, and Johann Melhior Dinglinger. Many of these artists were either Frenchmen or Swiss, but most of them visited England and worked there for a while. The greatest English enamel portrait painter was Henry Bone (1755–1839). A great collection of his small enamel reproductions of celebrated paintings is in Buckingham Palace.

Related Topics:
Enamel - Jean Petitot - 1607 - 1691 - Paris - Louis XIV of France - Christian Friedrich Zincke - 1767 - Heinrich Hurter - 1734 - 1799 - David Liot - Paul Prieur - Johann Melhior Dinglinger - Henry Bone - 1755 - 1839 - Buckingham Palace

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The work of the 18th century on ivory is in watercolor. The use of ivory came into general adoption in the early part of the reign of William III of England, miniatures previous to that time having been painted on vellum, chicken-skin or cardboard, a few on the backs of playing cards, and many more on very thin vellum closely mounted on to playing cards.

Related Topics:
Ivory - William III of England - Vellum

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