Portrait miniature – Harry & Co Jewellery

Early Period and Notable Miniaturists

Portrait miniatures developed from illuminated manuscripts
Famous manuscript painters like Jean Fouquet and Simon Bening were early portrait miniaturists
Lucas Horenbout was a Netherlandish miniature painter at the court of Henry VIII
France had a strong tradition of miniatures, with artists like François Clouet and Jean Perréal
Other notable miniature painters include Simon Renard de St. André and Rosalba Carriera
Nicholas Hilliard was the first famous native English portrait miniaturist
Hilliard's work was conservative in style and often signed with a Latin motto
Hilliard was succeeded by his son Lawrence Hilliard, who had a bolder technique
Isaac Oliver and his son Peter Oliver gave roundness and form to the faces they painted
Other notable English miniaturists include Balthazar Gerbier and George Jamesone
Gervase Spencer, Bernard Lens III, Nathaniel Hone, and Jeremiah Meyer were notable miniaturists associated with the Royal Academy
David Loggan, William Faithorne, and John Faber the Elder were skilled workers in black lead
Denmark had notable miniature painters like Cornelius Høyer and Christian Horneman

Samuel Cooper was considered the greatest English portrait miniaturist
Cooper spent much of his time in Paris and Holland
His work had a superb breadth and dignity and was known for its truth to life
Cooper painted on card, chicken skin, vellum, and even thin pieces of mutton bone
Other notable miniaturists of this period include Alexander Cooper and Richard Gibson

Denmark's Cornelius Høyer specialized in miniature painting and was appointed Miniature Painter to the Danish Court
Christian Horneman succeeded Høyer as Denmark's premier proponent of miniature portraits
Horneman's most known work is a portrait of Ludwig van Beethoven from 1802
Miniature painting was popular in other countries as well during the peak period
Each country had its own notable miniature painters and unique styles

France: Miniatures were painted by artists like Nicolas de Largillière, François Boucher, and Jean-Marc Nattier
Spain: Portrait miniatures were used in the Spanish court since the late 15th century, with Francisco Goya as a notable painter
United States: The English style of portrait miniatures was exported to the American colonies, with artists like Mary Roberts and Amalia Küssner Coudert
Scotland: Andrew Robertson and his brothers created a style of slightly larger portrait miniatures
Ireland: Gustavus Hamilton was a successful miniature painter in Dublin

Early miniatures were painted on vellum, chicken-skin, or cardboard
Watercolor on ivory became the standard medium in the 18th century
Enamel and copper support were also used in miniature painting
Mica was used for costume overlays
Museums like the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston and the Victoria and Albert Museum in London display miniature original oil paintings
The National Portrait Gallery in Washington, D.C. also has a vast collection of portrait miniatures
The Astolat Dollhouse Castle is another display venue for portrait miniatures
International Biennial of Miniature Art exhibitions are held in Gornji Milanovac, Serbia, and Częstochowa, Poland
The Royal Miniature Society Exhibition takes place annually in London, UK

Reference	URL
Glossary	https://harryandcojewellery.com.au/blogs/glossary/portrait-miniature
Wikipedia	http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Portrait_miniature
Wikidata	https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q282129
Knowledge Graph	https://www.google.com/search?kgmid=/m/03qt3v