An excerpt from an interesting article in The Antiques Roadshow online site on eye miniatures:

“The images were painted by miniaturists, portrait painters who specialized in small, detailed images. In this case they focused on only the eye, often represented with eyebrow and lashes. A wisp of hair, the suggestion of sideburn or the bridge of a nose would hint at the owner’s identity but never reveal it. A border of clouds frequently encircled the image, further accentuating the mystery surrounding it.

Such portraits appeared between the 1790s and 1820s in the courts and affluent households of England, Russia, France and even, quite rarely, America. In all, Weber estimates that fewer than a thousand were produced.

Eventually, not just lovers but beloved family members were portrayed. One bracelet, for instance, is composed of four eyes, each belonging to a member of one family and bearing the initials of each individual. Mourning pieces contained the eye of a departed loved one, sometimes set in a frame of pearls which symbolized tears.”

 The full url link is:
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/roadshow/tips/loverseyes.html

An example from the Antiques Roadshow article

An example of a British eye miniature c. 1840 I recently sold.

A rare American eye miniature c. 1815 I recently sold.

The following article entitled Celebration of Presidential Homeliness: Part Three of the American Pictures Series, by staff writer Laura Brown appeared in Washington College’s paper, The Elm: 

“Abraham Lincoln’s portrait was the subject of the third American Pictures Distinguished Lecture Series, as sponsored by the Washington College’s C. V. Starr Center and the Smithsonian.In a talk that was very appropriate for the National Portrait Gallery, Lincoln scholar Harold Holzer discussed a tiny painting of the president that measures a delicate 3.5-by-4.5 inches.

John Henry Brown painted this miniature portrait just in time for Lincoln’s first presidential election in 1860, and it made waves. Lincoln had had little success in his political career, but now sought the presidency. America needed to see him.

He did little of his own campaigning in the national election, so it was even more important for his picture to be made public. But even Lincoln had always made fun of his attractiveness, or lack thereof (getting kicked in the face by a horse had not helped his visage; one side turned up and the other faced down).

Paintings could smooth over foul lines, so Mr. Lincoln’s face was level when voters finally looked on it. Plus, he looked young for his 50 years, and seemed to have the necessary vitality for such a job. This portrait proved that Lincoln was not “as ugly as he supposed and that he was dignified enough to be president,” as Holzer proclaimed.

The small size of this portrait makes the experience of looking more personal. It is best viewed when brought close to the face and highlighted with a magnifying glass. Now Mr. Lincoln was physically closer to the people.

The miniature was painted and reproduced in a time when artists and printers were the only translators of images to the American public. Harold Holzer reminded the audience that without television, most people only saw the presidential candidates in newspaper illustrations. Holzer turned to the discussion of such a portrait today. It is still relevant because of the power of images. Consider how Barack Obama’s red and blue “Hope” portrait played in the 2008 election. That image spread like wildfire and definitely affected the general perception of the candidate.

Likewise, Holzer suggested that this small portrait helped win huge electoral votes, and the presidency. When Lincoln’s picture was released, it made him more accessible to the public. Even with the development of photography, he continued to be accessible to artists and photographers, understanding the power in technology.

When he did begin to age visibly in photographs (as all presidents do) the people recognized that he was under the stress of civil war, and they determined that the wear showed admirably. Thus he used his image to his advantage.

Harold Holzer’s manner was genial and very knowledgeable, and his passion for the subject was evident. As a head of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, he certainly had a strong foundation in discussing photography. His lecture on the rendition of Lincoln, that “giant historical figure in an irresistible miniature” was brilliant and will continue to trigger much conversation.”

I don’t often comment on miniatures that sell at auction, but this week there has been some unusual movement  in  a few U.S. auctions, when one considers the economic recession, and the presently quiet marketplace. 

Grogan and Company, Dedham MA, April 19th, 2009 auction, two American miniatures:

1. Lot 7, a signed Nathaniel Rogers of a bald gentleman,  with provenance. Estimate $500-700. sold for $2000.  This is a decent trade price for a signed Rogers. However, look at the next lot.

2. Lot 8, Richard Morrell Staigg of James Ingersoll. Unattractive frame, warped ivory. Estimate $700-1000. Sold for $5600. An extremely healthy trade price.

Joseph Kabe Estate Auctions, Milford, CT, April 19th, 2009, one English miniature:

 1.  No lot number assigned, a signed Horace Hone boy, no estimate.  This is an excellent example of Hone’s work, and is an appealing sitter, but the miniature is in a shabby 19th century frame.  Sold for $5100, excluding buyer’s premium.   An extremely healthy trade price.

Doyle New York, New York City, NY, April 21st, 2009, one American miniature: 

1. Lot 55, inscribed by Henry Shumway, of James K. Place, exhibited at the Museum of New York, c. 1840. Estimate: $1500-2000. Sold for $4688, including buyer’s premium.  With a named sitter and an exhibition record, this is still a very healthy trade price.

Lot 7, Signed Nathaniel Rogers, sold for $2000.

Richard Morrell Staigg of James Ingersoll. Sold $5600.

 

A signed Horace Hone of a boy in later frame. Sold for $5100.

  

Henry Colton Shumway of James K. Place. Sold for $4688.

As I recently posted on my Facebook page for CAPM [see below], while I’m always glad to sell a miniature, what I’m interested in doing with this blog, the Facebook page, the Twitter postings, and the LinkedIn page is fostering a sense of community between like-minded individuals.  Not simply people who collect or are interested in portrait miniatures, but also those who gravitate to the arts.

 ”On this Christine Archibald Portrait Miniatures page I’m primarily interested in fostering a sense of community. Not just among collectors, or those intrigued by miniatures, but also among people who gravitate to story–which is what miniatures essentially are all about. The story of the sitter, the story of the artist, the story of the time period, the story of the city, state and nation in which the miniature was painted.

As well, I’m interested in creating a common ground for people who are drawn to art, history, sociology, genealogy. folk art, sentimental jewelry, antiques, the history of fashion, politics, theatre, literature, science, academics and society–since these all come into play in the world of portrait miniatures.”

Adam Zuckerman of A-Z Museum Services in Newton, Connecticut offers exhibition, collection, and display services to museums and private collectors. He provides several types of displays suitable to portrait miniatures, including framed hanging shadowboxes, in-wall cabinets, hanging hooks, wall-mounted display cases, bookshelf-sized display cases, lined drawers, vitrines, easels and table mounts, among others. Materials can be chosen to prevent atmospheric deterioration from UV light, pollution, and humidity.  For further information, please see his website http://www.a-zmuseumsvc.com, or contact: AdamZ@A-ZMuseumSvc.com.

The Royal Oak Foundation Lecture Series
Monday, May 18
Elle Shushan will present:
Painted Faces: The Private History of Portrait Miniatures
Abigail Adams Smith Auditorium
417 East 61st Street, New York, NY
212.480.2889 x 201 for registration www.royal-oak.org

Thomas Seir Cummings (1804-1894) wrote “Works in miniature should possess the same beauty of composition, correctness of drawing, breadth of light and shade, brilliancy, truth of colour, and firmness of touch, as works executed on a larger scale.”

The  April issue of The Magazine Antiques features a wonderful image of a Jarvis portrait miniature on the cover [see image below], and contains an article on a few of the top American miniaturists in the late 18th and early 19th centuries, written by Elle Shushan.  The article coincides in a timely fashion with upcoming loan exhibition of miniatures at the Philadelphia Antiques Show.