Portrait miniatures: from Richard Cosway to Andrew Robertson
Around 1801 the young artist Andrew Robertson developed a new style of miniature painting that became the dominant style of the mid 19th century. Robertson deliberately set himself against Richard Cosway, the fashionable miniaturist of the previous generation. He called Cosway's miniatures 'pretty things but not pictures', and despised his followers.
Robertson's new style brought together elements that had been explored by previous miniaturists. These included a larger ivory, a rectangular format and the addition of more gum to imitate the richness of oil paint. But his large, densely painted miniatures were labour intensive so Robertson mostly painted smaller miniatures for a living.
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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.
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