Long before the advent of photography, portrait
miniatures were one of the few tangible ways to possess a portable likeness
of a loved one.
Small enough to hold in the palm of a hand, they were
brilliantly executed and dearly cherished. Whether depicting a dashing
young officer, a flirtatious maiden, or an adorable pink-cheeked child,
these objects document an era of intense sentimentality.
"They are so intimate because they were
exchanged between people who had close personal ties with each
other," says Carrie Barratt, curator of American painting and
sculpture at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Generally commissioned for
personal reasons, portrait miniatures commemorated momentous events such as
birthdays, engagements, and marriages. Others served as tokens of
remembrance during painful separations of wartime or resettlement, common
during the early years of the new colonies.
Mourning miniatures testify to
a time when death was common in every household. "Because miniatures
were portable, they were carried as remembrances to the corners of the
world," says noted Philadelphia dealer Elle Shushan, "so they
might surface in the most unexpected places."
The luminescent treasures are usually found in cases
or frames, which often hold a lock of the subject's hair under glass
on the reverse. Cases range from elaborate jewel-inlaid, gold-plated
brooches, lockets, and bracelets to velvet- or silk-lined foldable leather
envelopes and frames. Rather than large portraits intended for public
display, these small treasures were more private mementos. Women typically
wore them in bracelets or lockets, and men usually kept them in their
pockets.
Inspired by ancient portrait medals and illuminated
manuscripts, early 16th-century Continental examples featured oil on copper
or water-color on vellum and were popular in the court of Henry VIII
and among English aristocrats.
Ivory came into use in the early 18th century and
quickly became the material of choice. Around 1740, Mary Roberts of
Charleston was probably the first American portrait miniaturist to paint on
ivory. "As a result, ivory became the major support for American
miniatures as well as English ones," says Barratt.
Whether admired in a museum or as part of a personal
collection, portrait miniatures are a romantic visual metaphor for the time
when they were created. Small wonder they are so beloved today.
| JUST THE FACTS |
Period of popularity: 1740s to 1840s.
Medium: Predominantly watercolor on ivory.
Size and shape: Size varied a great deal, eventually reaching three inches in the 19th century. The graceful oval replaced the
early circular form.
Conservation concerns: Baltimore conservator Carol
Aiken warns against opening the case -- it might not close again, or the
portrait might be damaged. Sudden changes in heat or humidity can cause
ivory to contract and expand, and a drop of water can cause irreparable
damage. Turn restoration over to a certified specialist.
Artists who often worked in the South: Edward Greene
Malbone, Mary Roberts, John Wood Dodge, Charles Fraser, Louis Antoine
Collas, members of the Peale family, and John Wesley Jarvis.
Expect to pay: Account books record original prices
from $7 to $300. Today's prices are determined by the renown of the
artist, documentation, condition (including case and hair components), and
the fame of the sitter. At New York's 2007 Winter Antiques Show,
dealer Elle Shushan's prices ranged from $600 to $30,000 -- the
latter for an 1843 portrait by Dodge. |
RESOURCES: Elle Shushan, 215/587-0000, www.portraitminitures.com; Metropolitan Museum of Art, 212/535-7710, www.metmeseum.org; Carol Aiken, 410/383-9867.
