Portrait miniatures: from John Hoskins to Samuel Cooper
We do not know who taught John Hoskins miniature painting. But, like Isaac Oliver's son Peter, he used real silver and gold to create jewels, a technique invented by Hilliard.
Twenty years later Hoskins's miniatures show the very different influence of the Flemish painter Anthony van Dyck - his new neighbour and Charles I's oil painter. Simple blue or red backgrounds were replaced by landscapes and jewels were worked with ordinary paint.
Samuel Cooper was Hoskins's nephew and learned miniature painting in his uncle's London workshop. He set up independently in 1642. In contrast, Richard Gibson, a page to Charles I, painted for a close-knit court circle.
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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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