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In England, what today
are called ‘miniatures’,
were originally called ‘limnings’,
and limning is and was
distinct and separate
from other types of
painting. Contrary to
popular belief,
‘miniature’ paintings
are not simply small
variants of large
paintings. The word
‘miniature’ comes from
the Latin miniare,
meaning to colour with
red lead, originally
related to book
production before the
invention of printing.
In England the small,
bright illustration of
such sacred books,
painted in watercolour
on vellum, were more
usually called
illuminations’ or ‘limnings’.
Both terms derive from
the Medieval Latin word
luminare, meaning to
give light. It was some
time later that the word
‘miniature’ came to
express all things
small, by association
with the size of many
limnings and a
misleading link to words
incorporating the Latin
min, expressing
smallness.
Modern English
‘miniature’ painting has
its roots in the
‘illuminations’ of the
15th and 16th
centuries. Henry VIII
and his wives sat for
some of the earliest
‘miniature’ portraits,
by then elevated into an
art form in its own
right. These paintings
were used as photographs
would be today: they
identified and
authenticated. It is
said that Henry VIII
agreed to marry Anne of
Cleves on the strength
of a pretty ‘miniature’,
but was disappointed in
the original. Not a
basis for a happy
marriage! Miniatures
set in jewelled frames
were often part of the
jewellery worn by the
very wealthy; sometimes
with a locket of the
subject’s hair set in
the back. The ladies
would wear them at their
breast, and the men on
chains and belts. By
the time of Jane Austin
they were frequently
kept in cases on display
in grand houses. Lizzy
Bennet in “Pride and
Prejudice” viewed a
‘miniature’ of Mr. Darcy
when she visited
Pemberley for the first
time. By the 19th
Century the craze for
‘miniatures’ began to
recede as the
Daguerreotype (an early
form of photography)
came into favour. It
was the excitement of
photography that finally
killed the original love
of ‘miniatures’.
Modern miniatures can
depict almost any
subject, not just
portraits, and many
artists prefer painting
landscapes or a
still-life. My
‘miniatures’ are painted
on a synthetic form of
ivory, made from cotton,
called Ivorine.
(Nowadays it is not
usually considered
politically correct to
use ivory itself). The
method of working,
though, is still exactly
the same as it was in
the 15th century.
The
image is slowly built up
stippling thousands of
tiny dots, each
different colour being
placed alongside those
already applied. Ivorine does not absorb
water, so the paint sits
on the surface of the
support and can be
easily ‘lifted off’
rather than put on when
another layer of paint
is applied. Parts of
the painting, such as
the hair, are created
with tiny very fine
lines, colour upon
colour until the final
effect is achieved.
Why the miniature
paintings must be
supplied framed.
The
final picture must have
a layer of air between
it and the glass when it
is framed.
Anything damp that gets
near the painting will
simply remove the image.
The picture is then
polished with
Renaissance wax and silk
to give it some degree
of protection. Like any
watercolour painting it
needs to be kept in a
dry place and away from
direct sunlight. The
pigments used are as
colourfast as modern
science can make them,
but all colours fade in
very bright sunlight.
‘Miniatures’ are
supplied in either 22ct
Gold Plated frames –
oval, round or
rectangle, of various
sizes ranging from 2 ½”
to 5”; or mounted in
wooden frames.
Wooden stands for the
smaller miniatures are
available. |
