BRITISH PORTRAIT MINIATURES

Materials & Techniques

Samuel Cooper, Portrait of an Unknown Woman, Museum no. 448-1892

Miniature painting developed out of the art of illustrating hand-written books and shared the same materials and methods.  The first part of this section explores the materials and techniques used from the 1520s to 1700 to paint in watercolour on vellum, a fine animal skin.  The second section looks at the use of ivory in place of vellum from around 1700 and also considers the impact of photography on miniature portrait painting in the second half of the 19th century.

Watercolour on Vellum, 1520-1700