“Painting In Little”

 

Both Clovis Art Guild’s Annual Miniature Works Fine Art Show (Clovis California) and Sierra Artists Gallery’s Miniatures in Mariposa (Mariposa California) give modern day artists who paint on small canvases a chance to display their work, and the opportunity for artists who usually paint on a larger format to stretch their abilities by painting in an unfamiliar size.True miniature art or “painting in little” is a genre that focuses on art (especially painting, engraving and sculpture). It has a long history that dates to the scribes of the medieval ages. Miniature art societies, such as the World Federation of Miniaturists (WFM), provide applicable definitions of the term.[1] An often-used definition is that a piece of miniature art can be held in the palm of the hand, or that it covers less than 25 square inches or 100 cm². Subjects are depicted in 1/6 actual size, and in all paintings the spirit of miniaturization should be maintained.

Miniature art has been made for over 1000 years and is prized by collectors. The U.S. White House, the Smithsonian American Art Museum, Astolat Dollhouse Castle, and museums around the world have collections of miniature paintings, drawings, original prints and etchings, and sculpture

Miniature painting, also called (16th–17th century) limning, small, finely wrought portrait executed on vellum, prepared card, copper, or ivory. The name is derived from the minium, or red lead, used by the medieval illuminators. Arising from a fusion of the separate traditions of the manuscript andthe medal, miniature painting flourished from the beginning of the 16th century down to the mid-19th century

The art of miniature painting is many hundreds of years old. The earliest examples are shown in illuminated church manuscripts. Decorated often with pure gold leaf, these tiny images pictured scenes of medieval life, the bible or saints and angels.

In later years the skill of these illuminators was turned to the painting of exquisite miniature portraits for rich merchants and royalty. These jewel-like works of art were small enough to be held in the palm of the hand and were carried much as we carry those in our electronic media.