Portrait miniatures: the 18th century
In the early 18th century miniaturists had experimented with ways to make it easier to paint on ivory with watercolour. These included roughening the ivory, degreasing it and making the paint stickier.
Jeremiah Meyer then exploited the advances made by his predecessors and showed other artists the possibilities of working on ivory.
In the late 1760s a number of young artists became miniaturists, including Richard Cosway, John Smart and Richard Crosse, all born around 1742. From the age of 14, these boys took lessons at William Shipley 's new drawing school, the first such school in London.
This selection of miniatures shows the confidence this training gave them.
Click on the images below for larger versions and more information.
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The Portrait Miniature in England
A fascinating account of the development of English miniature painting featuring masterpieces from the V&A's collection.
Buy nowEvent - Intercultural Tour - Black Figures on the Dining Table
Mon 11 June 2012 13:00
FREE TALK: Discover the 'Blackamoor' characters that dined at 18th and 19th century banquets, but only for dessert! Spot the early porcelain and later earthenware figures of European representations of black people and the white entertainers who 'blackened up'.
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