"Most often, portrait miniatures were painted in watercolor on thin disks of ivory. They were sometimes worn as jewelry, sometimes framed to be viewed privately. Many were painted by specialists, although renowned easel artists - including Benjamin West, John Singleton Copley, and Charles Willson Peale - also created them to commemorate births, engagements, marriages, deaths, and other joinings or separations. The book traces the development of this exquisite art form, revealing the close ties between the history of the miniature and the history of American private life."--BOOK JACKET.
A scholarly, comprehensive study of the art of enamels in Europe, presenting examples from the seventeenth to the late nineteenth century. Demonstrates the extraordinary quality and scope of these exquisite works. This scholarly book contains comprehensive information on the art of enamels in Europe and England. It also examines the techniques and tools of enamelists and presents an overview of artists, patrons and sitters represented in this fine collection.
Excerpt from The History of Portrait Miniatures, Vol. 1 Much original research has been necessary in the work, especially with regard to the English painters who in Stuart times worked in Scandinavia, and the Continental artists who have hitherto been generally neglected. The author has had access to State documents in many parts of Europe, some hitherto closed to inquirers, while bundles of letters, various note-books, catalogues, and privately printed volumes relating to families and pictures have been placed at his disposal for purposes of study. In the chapters dealing with Alexander Cooper, the exhibitors at the Royal Academy, the painters in enamel, and the foreign artists, it will be found especially that new ground has been broken. It should be mentioned that the discovery narrated in Chapter XIX., which entirely disproves a theory hitherto accepted, was not made until Vol. I. Had been printed. The illustrations have been taken from collections in all parts of the world and represent almost every important miniature painter by some characteristic example of his work. As far as possible signed examples have been selected as well as interesting portraits of important personages. Each miniature has been specially photographed for the purpose, and is reproduced full size in order that the student may have before him a truthful representation of the painting, great care having been taken to select works of definite authenticity. It is with respect to the loan of miniatures and the permission to have them reproduced that the author has to express so deep a debt of gratitude to owners and collectors. About the Publisher Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.
