The English miniature

by John V. Murdoch, V.J. Murrell, Patrick Noon

Exhibition held at the Yale Centre for British Art and the Art Gallery of Ontario, Apr. 6-May 16, 1981.

Genres: Art, Art History, History

240 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1981

Reviews

[Alessandra]

Portrait miniatures, in watercolor on ivory (or occasionally card or vellum), were a peculiarly English art form. The earliest were made in the court of Henry VIII by artists Levina Teerlinc and Hans Holbein. They continued until they were supplanted by photography. In the intervening centuries thousands of English men, women, and children had their portraits painted in brilliant, minute detail.

There's a lot of color, but I wish there were more, these paintings are so lovely. They do have a lot of magnified images. In addition to the usual historical interest, this is a rich collection of detailed portraits and costume studies rarely seen anywhere else.