,,chats ,,on ,,old ,,miniatures ,,london3 ,t4 ,,fisher ,,unwin1 ,,adelphi ,,terrace4 ,illustration3 ,,mansion4 ,,portrait ,,of ,a ,,lady4 ,wallace ,collection4 ,,chats ,,on ,,old ,,miniatures ,,by ,j4 ,j4 ,,foster1 ,f4,s4,a4 ,,author ,,of ,,british ,,miniature ,,painters ,,and ,,their ,,works1 ,,the ,,stuarts ,,in #af,,th1 #ag,,th1 ,,and #ah,,th ,,century ,,art1 ,,french ,,art ,,from ,,watteau ,,to ,,prudhon1 ,,concerning ,,the ,,true ,,portraiture ,,of ,,mary ,,queen ,,of ,,scots1 ,,etc41 ,,etc4 ,,with #aag ,,illustrations ,,london ,t4 ,,fisher ,,unwin ,,adelphi ,,terrace ,,mcmviii 7,all rights reserved47 ,,preface ,acceding to the wish of my ,publishers that the following pages should be included in a certain well-known series1 ,i have termed them ,chats on ,old ,miniatures1 but confess that ,i consider the title somewhat of a misnomer1 inasmuch as ,i have been accustomed to regard a chat as a conversation between two or more persons interested in a given subject2 whereas in this little volume it is obvious that ,i have done all the talking4 ,in the interval which has elapsed since my larger works appeared the most important event in connection with the subject of ,miniatures is1 in my opinion1 the ,exhibition of ,works of ,art of the ,eighteenth ,century at the ,french ,national ,library in #aijf4 ,the concluding chapter of this book gives the impressions afforded by that extremely interesting and instructive ,exhibition4 ,in the hope that they will be of use to the general reader1 ,i have amplified my references to the public collections of ,miniatures in this country1 especially those at ,hertford ,house and the ,jones ,collection1 so rich in the works of ,petitot4 ,miss ,e4 ,m4 ,foster has been of much service in revising the proofs and passing this work through the press4 ,i have only to add one word1 and that relates to the illustrations4 ,i am fortunate in being able to put before my readers so large a selection of choice examples of the art of miniature painting4 ,this ,i owe to the generosity of the owners of the originals1 to whom ,i desire once again to express my indebtedness and thanks4 ,j4 ,j4 ,,foster4 ,,london1 ,easter1 #aijh4 ,,contents ,,page ,,preface #i ,,list ,,of ,,illustrations #ac ,,bibliography #ag ,,chapter ,i4 ,,on ,,collecting ,,miniatures ,,and ,,the ,,care ,,of ,,them #ai ,,ii4 ,,origin ,,of ,,miniatures1 ,,and ,a ,,method ,,of ,,painting ,,them #dc ,,iii4 ,,concerning ,,enamels ,,and ,,enamel ,,painters #fc ,,iv4 ,,holbein1 ,,and ,,early ,,miniature ,,painters #ie ,v4 ,,nicholas ,,hilliard #abc ,,vi4 ,,the ,,olivers ,,and ,,hoskins #ade ,,vii4 ,,samuel ,,cooper #aga ,,viii4 ,,petitot #aia ,,ix4 ,,some ,,georgian ,,artists #baa ,x4 ,,cosway ,,and ,,his ,,contemporaries #bbi ,,xi4 ,,the ,,last ,,of ,,the ,,old ,,school #bfa ,,xii4 ,,royal ,,and ,,private ,,collections #bgi ,,xiii4 ,,public ,,collections #cja ,,xiv4 ,,the ,,french ,,school ,,of ,,miniature ,,painters #cbe ,,conclusion #cfa ,,index #cfg ,,illustrations ,,frontispiece4 ,portrait of a ,lady1 by ,j4 ,mansion 7,wallace ,collection74 ,,page ,,chapter ,i4--,,on ,,collecting ,,miniatures ,,and ,,the ,,care ,,of ,,them4 ,lady ,villiers and ,katharine1 ,fifth ,duchess of ,leeds1 by ,r4 ,cosway1 ,r4,a4 7,col4 ,w4 ,h4 ,walker7 #bc ,louisa of ,stolberg1 a ,jacobite badge 7,a4 ,lang1 ,esq47 ,mr4 ,barbor and the ,barbor ,jewel 7,victoria and ,albert ,museum74 ,charles ,i4 in his own hair 7,shelley family7 #bi ,queen ,elizabeth 7,harcourt family74 ,miss ,pretyman1 by ,r4 ,cosway1 ,r4,a4 7,j4 ,davison1 ,esq47 #cg ,,chapter ,,ii4--,,origin ,,of ,,miniatures1 ,,and ,a ,,method ,,of ,,painting ,,them4 ,a ,philospher1 ,fifteenth-century ,missal 7,wallace ,collection7 #dg ,sir ,walter ,raleigh and ,walter ,raleigh1 jun41 unknown 7,duke of ,rutland7 #ea ,back of the ,enamel ,case containing the ,raleigh ,portraits 7,duke of ,rutland7 #ee ,sir ,john ,hatton and his ,mother1 ascribed to ,lucas de ,heere 7,earl ,spencer7 #ei ,,chapter ,,iii4--,,concerning ,,enamels ,,and ,,enamel ,,painters4 ,c4 ,f4 ,zincke and his wife1 after ,j4 ,hysing #fg ,jeremiah ,meyer1 ,r4,a41 after ,dance4 ,nathaniel ,hone1 ,r4,a41 by ,himself #ga ,thomas ,howard1 by ,sir ,a4 ,more 7,duke of ,norfolk74 ,edmond ,butts1 by ,john ,bettes 7,national ,gallery7 #gg ,henry ,brandon1 by ,hans ,holbein the ,younger 7,h4,m4 the ,king74 ,hans ,holbein the ,younger1 by ,himself 7from a drawing at ,basle74 ,charles ,brandon1 by ,hans ,holbein the ,younger 7,h4,m4 the ,king7 #ha ,a ,burgomaster1 by ,hans ,holbein the ,younger 7,h4,m4 the ,king74 ,lady ,audley1 by ,hans ,holbein the ,younger 7,h4,m4 the ,king7 #he ,catharine of ,arragon1 by ,hans ,holbein the ,younger4 ,henry ,,viii41 by ,hans ,holbein the ,younger 7,h4,m4 the ,king74 ,henry1 ,duke of ,richmond1 by ,hans ,holbein the ,younger 7,h4,m4 the ,king7 #ia ,,chapter ,,iv4--,,holbein1 ,,and ,,early ,,miniature ,,painters4 ,nicholas ,hilliard1 by ,himself 7from ,penshurst74 ,lady ,mary ,sidney1 by ,n4 ,hilliard 7,harcourt family7 #ii ,henry ,,vii41 by ,n4 ,hilliard 7,h4,m4 the ,king74 ,charles the ,first when ,prince of ,wales1 by ,isaac ,oliver 7,duke of ,rutland74 ,spenser 7,lord ,fitzhardinge7 #ajc ,isaacus ,oliverus1 ,anglus ,pictor 7from a print in the ,british ,museum7 #ajg ,venetia1 ,lady ,digby1 by ,i4 ,oliver 7,burdett-,coutts ,collection74 ,i4 ,oliver1 by ,himself 7,h4,m4 the ,king7 #aaa ,sir ,kenelm ,digby and ,venetia1 ,lady ,digby1 by ,peter ,oliver 7,burdett-,coutts ,collection7 #aae ,frances ,howard1 ,countess of ,somerset1 by ,isaac ,oliver4 ,peter ,oliver1 after ,sir ,a4 ,van ,dyck4 ,arabella ,stuart1 by ,peter ,oliver 7,capt4 ,j4 ,h4 ,edwards1 ,heathcote7 #aai ,,chapter ,v4--,,nicholas ,,hilliard4 ,charles ,i41 by ,john ,hoskins 7,h4,m4 the ,king74 ,duke of ,buckingham1 by ,isaac ,oliver 7,h4,m4 the ,king7 #abf ,oliver ,cromwell1 by ,s4 ,cooper 7,duke of ,devonshire74 ,oliver ,cromwell1 by ,s4 ,cooper 7,duke of ,sutherland7 #abi ,george ,monck1 ,duke of ,albemarle1 by ,s4 ,cooper 7,h4,m4 the ,king7 #acc ,duchess of ,cleveland1 by ,s4 ,cooper 7,countess of ,caledon74 ,o4 ,cromwell's ,mother4 ,lady ,leigh1 by ,s4 ,cooper 7,sackville ,bale ,collection7 #acg ,sir ,john ,king1 by ,alexander ,cooper 7,h4,m4 the ,king74 ,s4 ,cooper1 by ,himself 7,dyce ,collection7 #ada ,,chapter ,,vi4--,,the ,,olivers ,,and ,,hoskins4 ,petitot1 by ,himself4 ,mlle4 ,fontanges1 by ,petitot4 ,henrietta d',orleans1 by ,petitot 7,burdett-,coutts ,collection7 #aea ,louis ,,xiv41 by ,petitot4 ,charles ,i41 by ,petitot 7,burdett-,coutts ,collection74 ,james ,,ii41 by ,petitot 7,burdett-,coutts ,collection74 ,cardinal ,mazarin1 by ,petitot 7,earl of ,carlisle74 ,cardinal ,richelieu1 by ,petitot #aeg ,petitot le ,vieux1 by ,petitot 7,earl ,dartrey74 ,petitot1 from a print in the ,british ,museum4 ,charles ,,ii41 by ,petitot 7,burdett-,coutts ,collection7 #afc ,,chapter ,,vii4--,,samuel ,,cooper4 ,lady ,mary ,wortley ,montagu1 by ,s4 ,liotard4 ,amelia1 ,duchess of ,leinster1 after ,sir ,joshua ,reynolds 7,earl of ,charlemont7 #agd ,a ,lady1 unknown 7,lord ,tweedmouth74 ,sarah ,jennings1 ,duchess of ,marlborough1 by ,gaspar ,netscher 7,charles ,butler1 ,esq47 #agg ,duchess of ,hamilton1 by ,w4 ,derby 7,earl of ,derby74 ,miss ,kitty ,mudge1 by ,james ,nixon 7,canon ,raffles ,flint7 #aha ,marchioness of ,hertford1 by ,r4 ,cosway1 ,r4,a4 7,meynell-,ingram ,collection74 ,portrait of a ,gentleman1 by ,s4 ,shelley 7,miss ,kendall74 ,lady ,frances ,radcliffe1 by ,s4 ,collins 7,earl of ,carlisle7 #ahe ,lady ,elizabeth ,hamilton1 by ,w4 ,derby 7,earl of ,derby7 #ahi ,,chapter ,,viii4--,,petitot4 ,richard and ,maria ,cosway1 by ,r4 ,cosway1 ,r4,a4 #aie ,lady ,caroline ,howard1 by ,r4 ,cosway1 ,r4,a4 7,earl of ,carlisle74 ,william1 fifth ,duke of ,devonshire1 by ,r4 ,cosway1 ,r4,a4 7,earl of ,carlisle74 ,lady ,horatio ,seymour1 by ,r4 ,cosway1 ,r4,a4 #aii ,george ,,iv4 when ,prince of ,wales1 by ,r4 ,cosway1 ,r4,a4 7,shaftesbury family7 #bjc ,lady ,caroline ,duncombe1 by ,r4 ,cosway1 ,r4,a4 7,w4 ,b4 ,stopford1 ,esq474 ,the ,ladies ,georgina and ,harriet ,cavendish1 by ,r4 ,cosway1 ,r4,a4 7,earl of ,carlisle7 #bjg ,,chapter ,,ix4--,,some ,,georgian ,,artists4 ,r4 ,cosway1 ,r4,a41 by ,himself 7,national ,portrait ,gallery7 #bac ,lady ,hamilton 7,j4 ,h4 ,anderdon1 ,esq474 ,lady ,theresa ,strangways1 by ,a4 ,plimer #baf ,lady ,orde1 by ,r4 ,cosway1 ,r4,a4 7,sir ,a4 ,j4 ,campbell-,orde1 ,bart47 #bai ,caroline of ,anspach1 by ,o4 ,humphrey1 ,r4,a4 ,lady ,clive1 by ,j4 ,smart 7,earl of ,powis74 ,portrait of a ,lady1 by ,j4 ,smart 7,miss ,kendall74 ,lord ,clive1 by ,j4 ,smart 7,earl of ,powis7 #bbc ,ozias ,humphrey1 ,r4,a41 after ,g4 ,romney #bbg ,,chapter ,x4--,,cosway ,,and ,,his ,,contemporaries4 ,portrait of a ,lady1 by ,g4 ,engleheart 7,col4 ,w4 ,h4 ,walker74 ,portrait of a ,gentleman1 by ,g4 ,engleheart 7,m4 ,viennot7 #bcc ,portrait of a ,gentleman1 by ,w4 ,wood4 ,maria1 ,duchess of ,coventry1 unknown 7,j4 ,g4 ,fanshawe1 ,esq47 #bci ,the ,baroness ,burdett-,coutts1 by ,sir ,w4 ,c4 ,ross1 ,r4,a4 #bdc ,countess of ,leitrim1 by ,a4 ,robertson4 ,the ,artist's ,mother1 by ,sir ,w4 ,c4 ,ross1 ,r4,a4 #bdi ,william ,cobden1 by ,r4 ,dudman4 ,millicent ,amber1 his ,wife1 by ,r4 ,dudman #bec ,master ,cobden1 son of ,richard ,cobden #beg ,,chapter ,,xi4--,,the ,,last ,,of ,,the ,,old ,,school4 ,mary ,stuart1 by ,janet 7,h4,m4 the ,king7 #bfe ,the ,duke of ,monmouth1 by ,s4 ,cooper 7,h4,m4 the ,king7 #bfi ,queen ,charlotte1 by ,ozias ,humphrey1 ,r4,a4 7,h4,m4 the ,king74 ,james ,,ii41 by ,s4 ,cooper 7,h4,m4 the ,king7 #bgc ,georgina1 ,duchess of ,devonshire1 by ,r4 ,cosway1 ,r4,a4 7,h4,m4 the ,king7 #bgg ,,chapter ,,xii4--,,royal ,,and ,,private ,,collections4 ,henry1 ,cardinal of ,york and ,prince ,charles ,edward1 unknown 7,h4,r4,h4 the ,duchess of ,albany74 ,mme4 de ,montespan1 by ,petitot4 ,mary ,stuart1 from an enamel by ,h4 ,bone 7,burdett-,coutts ,collection7 #bhc ,sir ,kenelm ,digby1 ,wife1 and ,sons1 by ,peter ,oliver1 after ,sir ,a4 van ,dyck 7,burdett-,coutts ,collection7 #bhi ,sir ,philip ,sidney1 by ,isaac ,oliver 7,h4,m4 the ,king7 #bie ,,chapter ,,xiii4-,,public ,,collections4 ,the ,dauphin1 by ,janet 7,h4,m4 the ,king74 ,napoleon ,i41 by ,chatillon 7,duke of ,wellington7 #cje ,portrait of ,mirabeau1 ,anonymous 7,m4 ,gabriel ,marceau74 ,portrait of a ,lady1 by ,p4 ,a4 ,hall 7,mme4 de ,b47 #caa ,portrait of the ,painter ,c4 ,j4 ,natoire1 by ,j4 ,b4 ,mass 7,m4 ,ed4 ,taigny7 #cag ,,chapter ,,xiv4--,,the ,,french ,,school ,,of ,,miniature ,,painters4 ,benoit ,boulouvard de ,sainte ,albine and ,sister1 by ,l4 ,sicardi 7,m4 le ,comte ,allard du ,chollet7 #cbi ,mlle4 ,constance ,mayer1 by ,p4 ,p4 ,prudhon 7,eudoxe-,marcille ,collection7 #cce ,portrait of a ,lady1 by ,j4 ,b4 ,augustin 7,m4 ,ed4 ,taigny74 ,portrait of a ,young ,lady1 by ,j4 ,gurin 7,mme4 de ,sainte ,martin ,valogne7 #cda ,mme4 ,henri ,belmont1 by ,l4 ,f4 ,aubry 7,m4 de ,richter7 #cdg ,f4 ,b4 ,isabey1 by ,himself 7,m4 ,ed4 ,taigny7 #cec ,,works ,,of ,,reference ,archologia1 volume #ci4 ,athenum1 ,the4 ,biographie ,universelle4 ,bordier1 ,les ,emaux de ,petitot en ,angleterre1 ,g4 des ,beaux ,arts1 #ahfg4 ,bradley's ,dictionary of ,miniaturists1 ,illuminators1 c41 #c vols41 #ahhg4 ,bromley's ,catalogue of ,engraved ,british ,portraits4 ,bryan's ,dictionary of ,artists4 ,burlington ,fine ,arts ,club1 ,catalogue of ,exhibition of ,miniatures at4 ,connoisseur ,library1 ,heath1 ,dudley1 ,miniatures1 #aije4 ,de ,conches1 ,history of ,english ,school of ,painting4 ,eighteenth ,century1 ,exhibition of ,works of ,art of 7,catalogue71 ,paris1 #aijf4 ,evelyn's ,diary4 ,fairholt's ,dictionary of ,art terms4 ,foster1 ,j4 ,j41 ,british ,miniature ,painters and their ,works1 #ahih4 ,miniature ,painters1 ,british and ,foreign1 #aijc4 ,concerning the true ,portraiture of ,mary ,stuart1 #aijd4 ,gazette des ,beaux ,arts4 ,gower1 ,lord ,ronald1 ,great ,historic ,galleries4 ,granger's ,biographical ,history of ,england4 ,graves1 ,a41 ,dictionary of ,artists4 ,imperial ,dictionary of ,universal ,biography4 ,kugler's ,handbook of ,painting4 ,labarte1 ,jules1 ,histoire des ,arts ,industriels4 ,laborde's ,renaissance des ,arts4 ,lacroix1 ,the ,arts in the ,middle ,ages4 ,lenoir1 ,catalogue de collection du ,louvre4 ,lomazzo1 ,a tracte containing the ,artes of ,painting4 ,louvre1 ,catalogues4 ,mariette's ,abecedario4 ,merrifield's ,arts of ,painting4 ,miniatures1 ,special ,loan ,exhibition1 ,south ,kensington1 #ahfe4 ,molinier1 ,e41 ,dictionnaire des ,emailleurs1 ,paris1 #ahhe4 ,nagler's ,kunst ,lexicon4 ,pattison1 ,mrs4 ,mark1 ,renaissance of ,art in ,france4 ,pepys' ,diary4 ,propert's ,history of ,miniature ,painting1 ,london1 #ahhg4 ,redgrave's ,century of ,painters4 ,redgrave's ,dictionary of ,artists of the ,english ,school4 ,robertson1 ,andrew1 ,letters and ,papers of4 ,rouquet's ,state of the ,arts in ,england4 ,smith1 ,j4 ,r4 ,nollekens and his ,times4 ,van der ,doort's ,catalogue1 by ,vertue1 ,london1 #ageg4 ,vasari's ,lives of the ,painters4 ,walpole's ,anecdotes of ,painting4 ,williamson1 ,g4 ,c41 ,portrait ,miniatures4 ,wornum's ,life and ,works of ,holbein1 ,london1 #ahfg4 ,i ,,on ,,the ,,collecting ,,of ,,miniatures ,,chats ,,on ,,old ,,miniatures ,,chapter ,i ,,on ,,the ,,collecting ,,of ,,miniatures ,you would like to make a collection of old miniatures1 did ,i hear my reader say8 and you want to know the best way to set about it8 ,well1 ,i can suggest one way3 it is to become a millionaire1 and let it be known that you are interested in miniatures1 then you will find that a collection can easily be made1 and not only so1 but people will actually make it for you1 with an alacrity1 ingenuity1 and industry which may surprise you4 ,should you further inquire what the collection would be like when made1 my reply would be3 that depends upon your own taste1 intelligence1 knowledge of art in general1 and of miniature painting in particular2 upon the depth of your purse--and1 ,i had almost said1 on your luck4 ,let me take that last-named qualification first1 and illustrate what ,i mean by luck in relation to a collection of miniatures4 ,some years ago the father of the present ,duke of ,buccleuch took to collecting miniatures1 and the agent he employed to purchase them was the late ,mr4 ,dominic ,colnaghi1 into whose shop there walked one day a man who said he had some little pictures to sell that he had bought with a job lot of old silver and gold from a working jeweller4 ,these little pictures turned out to be no less a prize than a number of miniatures formerly in the collection of ,charles ,i41 which1 as we know1 was dispersed at the time of the ,commonwealth4 ,in the days of the ,king's prosperity these had been catalogued and described by the ,royal ,librarian1 the conscientious ,dutchman ,van der ,doort1 and these miniatures bore on their back a crown and the royal cipher1 the entwined ,c's4 ,now1 after all their vicissitudes1 these priceless historical miniatures rest in ,montagu ,house1 ,whitehall1 barely a stone's throw from the window in the banqueting-hall of the palace whence their ,royal one-time owner stepped forth upon the scaffold on that bitter winter morning of ,january #cj1 #afdi4 ,by the word luck in connection with this acquisition1 ,i mean that they might have been taken to any one else but ,dominic ,colnaghi1 in which case there is but little likelihood of their having formed part of the famous ,buccleuch ,collection4 ,in truth1 it may be said that there is no royal road for the collection of miniatures1 and especially in these days1 when so many sharp eyes are on the look-out for them4 ,if you go to the auction-room you are confronted with that iniquitous institution known as the knock-out1 which not only debars the owner from getting the full value of his property1 but often prevents the would-be private purchaser from acquiring it at all4 ,illustration3 ,r4 ,,cosway1 ,r4,a4 ,,lady ,,villiers4 7,col4 ,w4 ,h4 ,walker47 ,,katharine1 ,,fifth ,,duchess ,,of ,,leeds4 7,col4 ,w4 ,h4 ,walker47 ,to be a successful collector of miniatures demands that one should be conversant with their market value1 which1 in its turn1 presupposes some knowledge of the various painters and the characteristics of their work4 ,here again1 ,i make so bold as to assert1 there is no royal road4 ,knowledge of this sort1 like most other knowledge worth possessing1 has to be acquired by experience1 by patience1 and by degrees4 ,the various handbooks which have appeared in such plenty of late years professing to teach ,how to ,identify this and ,how to ,collect that are1 no doubt1 valuable in their way1 but1 in my opinion1 are apt to lead the inexperienced collector to believe that the discrimination and the judgment essential to safety are more easily acquired than is likely to be the case in so difficult a pursuit4 ,and it is difficult1 because1 as no doubt the reader will often have observed for himself1 it is so very frequently the case that miniatures do not bear the names of either the person whom they are intended to represent1 or of the artist who drew the likeness4 ,so that the collector who would judge of some little head1 it may be1 is thrown back upon the necessity of having an intimate knowledge of the technical characteristics and qualities of the work before him1 which is often the sole test that he can apply and the trifling clue he has to follow4 ,in the case of old silver there are1 at any rate1 the stamps to guide the connoisseur1 to say nothing of other differences which ,i need not stop to point out4 ,most old china1 too1 is marked4 ,again1 as with china1 and also with silver1 there is the forger to beware of1 and he constitutes a very real danger1 even to collectors of experience1 because the forgery of miniatures is brought in these days almost to the level of a fine art1 and the ingenuity employed to deceive is indeed remarkable4 ,take by way of illustration the practice of painting miniatures upon old playing-cards--or what appear to be old playing-cards1 for ,i am told that such things as the latter are expressly fabricated4 ,in the days of the ,stuarts miniatures were painted upon pieces of playing-cards1 and when framed they were often backed up by one or two other pieces fitted in behind them4 ,these latter pieces afford valuable opportunity for the forger's exertions4 ,old papier-mch frames1 from which some silhouette or comparatively worthless portrait has been taken1 are employed to mislead the unwary4 ,a copy1 painted only the week before1 is put into some old frame of the eighteenth century1 and although costing but a few shillings 7and dear at that71 is offered at as many guineas to the confiding collector1 who1 if he falls into the trap1 thinks he has got a bargain1 as no doubt he would have if--if only the prize were an original1 and what it professed to be4 ,then the manufacture of copies of well-known examples in public collections is carried on unblushingly and upon a wholesale scale4 ,i have had large leather cases of such things1 containing tray after tray of them1 offered me repeatedly1 and upon highly advantageous terms4 ,these are the work of continental copyists1 ,german and ,french4 ,in ,paris they may be found by the gross in the shops of the ,rue de ,rivoli and in the purlieus of the ,palais ,royal4 ,and let not the collector make light of this persistent fabrication1 because1 remember1 they are bought by somebody4 ,the distribution of them is going on1 as ,americans say1 all the time4 ,they become dispersed and crop up again under all sorts of circumstances1 from all kinds of sources2 they have endless fictitious origins given to them4 ,generally you are told that they have been in the possessor's family for untold generations1 and that the grandfather of the would-be vendor refused a fabulous sum for them4 ,perhaps the best advice that ,i1 as one of some experience in such matters1 can give1 is to be summed up in the word caution4 ,i say1 then1 use caution1 and always caution1 and once more caution4 ,there remains the alternative of acquiring miniatures by private treaty1 often a somewhat delicate matter4 ,it would not be difficult to write an essay on the ,ethics of ,collecting1 but it might be hard to discriminate with nicety between the use the collector is justified in making of his superior knowledge1 to the detriment of the possessor1 because we must not forget that when a bargain is picked up1 the owner does not benefit much4 ,it is of the essence of a bargain that the coveted object--whether it be old china1 old furniture1 jewels1 or what not--shall be acquired below its customary1 real1 and interchangeable value4 ,well1 that clearly is a transaction in which both parties cannot reap the advantage1 and the gain of the one is measured exactly by the loss of the other4 ,the tactics of the buyer are well understood in the ,east1 where they are universally practised to-day1 as they have been for untold centuries4 ,do we not read in ,proverbs1 ,the buyer saith it is naught1 it is naught1 and when he goeth his way he rejoiceth8 ,but enough on a matter which1 after all1 must be left to the individual conscience1 always supposing a collector has one4 ,uncertainty and confusion often arise in the mind of purchasers owing to miniature painters of widely different abilities bearing similar names1 and sometimes owning the same initials4 ,it is important1 therefore1 to be able to discriminate in such cases4 ,thus we shall find three ,arlauds and an ,artaud1 though ,i suspect the last named is a misprint4 ,it occurs on a miniature shown at ,kensington in #ahfe4 ,amongst the early men there represented were two ,betts1 or ,bettes1 ,thomas and ,john1 probably brothers1 though their relationship is really uncertain4 ,one frequently hears a work described as an enamel by ,h4 ,bone4 ,there were two--,henry1 the father1 a ,royal ,academician1 and ,henry ,pierce ,bone1 his son4 ,there were also two grandsons of ,henry ,bone1 viz41 ,w4 and ,c4 ,r41 who practised between #ahbf and #ahea4 ,the latter of these contributed no less than sixty-seven miniatures to the ,royal ,academy4 ,in #ahja there was also an enamel shown at the ,academy by ,p4 ,j4 ,bone4 ,illustration3 ,a ,,jacobite ,,badge4 ,,louisa ,,of ,,stolberg4 7,a4 ,lang1 ,esq47 ,illustration3 ,,mr4 ,,barbor ,,and ,,the ,,barbor ,,jewel4 7,victoria and ,albert ,museum7 ,illustration3 ,,charles ,i4 ,,in ,,his ,,own ,,hair4 7,shelley family47 ,a4 ,e4 ,chalon1 ,r4,a41 was a miniature painter2 he was brother to ,john ,james ,chalon1 ,r4,a4 ,miss ,m4 ,a4 ,chalon1 the miniaturist1 was a daughter of ,henry ,bernard ,chalon1 and no relation to the above-named ,academicians4 ,lawrence ,crosse must be distinguished from ,richard ,crosse1 whom he preceded by many years4 ,as we all know1 many good miniatures were painted by ,maria1 wife of ,richard ,cosway4 ,there were two ,collins1 both admirable miniaturists1 but no relation to each other1 viz41 ,samuel1 master of ,ozias ,humphrey1 ,r4,a41 and ,richard ,collins1 pupil of ,jeremiah ,meyer1 ,r4,a4 ,samuel ,cooper had an elder and less accomplished brother1 ,alexander4 ,alexander ,day must not be confounded with ,thomas ,day1 nor with ,edward ,dayes1 whose wife was also a miniature painter4 ,william ,derby had a son ,alfred ,t4 ,derby1 a miniature painter like his father4 ,then we must distinguish between ,john ,dixon1 the pupil of ,lely1 who was made ,keeper of the ,king's picture closet by ,william ,,iii42 ,john ,dixon1 the mezzotint engraver1 and ,n4 ,dixon4 ,the last named was an excellent miniature painter who is well represented in the ,buccleuch ,collection1 although unmentioned in ,redgrave's ,dictionary4 ,there were eleven works by him shown at the ,winter ,exhibition of the ,royal ,academy in #ahgi portraits of the period of the ,restoration and somewhat later4 ,in the catalogue of this exhibition ,dixon is called ,nathaniel2 ,mr4 ,goulding1 the ,duke of ,portland's librarian1 informs me there is evidence at ,welbeck that this artist's ,christian name was ,nicholas4 ,there were two ,englehearts1 viz41 ,george and his less talented nephew1 ,j4 ,c4 ,d4 ,william ,essex had a son ,william ,b4 ,essex1 also an enameller4 ,i find two ,ferriers1 ,f4 and ,l41 probably father and son1 and three ,goupeys1 ,louis1 also the brothers ,joseph and ,bernard4 ,mrs4 ,mary ,green was no relation to her contemporary1 ,robert ,green1 also a miniaturist4 ,richard ,gibson1 the dwarf1 had a daughter1 ,susan ,penelope1 and a nephew ,william1 who both followed his profession4 ,charles ,hayter was eclipsed as a miniature painter by his son1 ,sir ,george4 ,there was a ,moses ,haughton1 or ,houghton1 an enameller1 who had a nephew1 also named ,moses1 a miniaturist4 ,d4 ,heins and ,john ,heins1 his son1 both painted miniatures at ,norwich4 ,nicholas and ,lawrence ,hilliard1 father and son1 are probably often confused4 ,there are said to be two ,hoskins1 both ,john1 also father and son4 ,two out of the three ,hones were miniaturists1 viz41 ,nathaniel1 ,r4,a41 and his grandson1 ,horace ,hone1 ,a4,r4,a4 ,thomas ,hopkins was an enameller1 and ,william ,hopkins a miniature painter4 ,there were several artists of the name of ,lens1 viz41 ,bernard ,lens1 enameller1 who had a son ,bernard1 an engraver1 and a grandson 7also ,bernard71 enamel painter to ,george ,,ii42 whilst ,andrew ,benjamin ,lens and ,peter ,paul ,lens1 each miniature painters1 are assumed to have been sons of the last-named ,bernard4 ,g4 ,m4 ,moser1 ,r4,a41 had a nephew an enameller1 named ,joseph ,moser4 ,his daughter ,mary was celebrated as a flower painter1 but ,i do not find that she painted miniatures4 ,the short-lived ,richard ,newton should be distinguished from ,sir ,william ,john ,newton4 ,daniel and ,john ,o',keefe were brothers1 and both miniaturists4 ,isaac and ,peter ,oliver were father and son4 ,of the two ,plimers1 ,andrew and ,nathaniel1 brothers1 the latter was the inferior artist4 ,alexander ,pope1 the poet1 was an industrious amateur artist2 but there was another ,alexander ,pope1 an ,irish miniature painter1 who exhibited at the ,royal ,academy from #aghg to #ahba1 and who was also an actor2 he played at ,covent ,garden in #aghc4 ,andrew ,robertson1 the well-known ,scottish miniature painter1 had two brothers1 of inferior artistic ability to himself2 they both had the same initial1 namely ,a1 one being ,archibald1 the other ,alexander4 ,there was a ,mrs4 ,a4 ,robertson who also painted miniatures2 she was a ,miss ,saunders1 niece of ,george ,saunders the miniature painter4 ,she worked in this country in the early part of the nineteenth century2 going to ,st4 ,petersburg in #ahdg1 she was elected a member of the ,russian ,imperial ,academy4 ,two other ,robertsons1 the brothers ,walter and ,charles1 practised in ,dublin at the end of the eighteenth century1 the latter excelling in female portraits4 ,the ,petitots1 father and son1 were both named ,john4 ,one of the most familiar names amongst ,british miniature painters is that of ,ross1 and ,sir ,william ,charles ,ross may be said to have been the last of the old school4 ,his father 7,h4 ,ross7 and mother both painted miniatures4 ,then there was also an ,h4 ,ross1 jun41 who exhibited at the ,academy from #ahae to #ahde2 a ,miss ,magdalene ,ross1 who became ,mrs4 ,edwin ,dalton1 and exhibited for over twenty years1 and finally a ,miss ,maria ,ross4 ,there were two ,sadlers1 ,thomas of the seventeenth century1 and ,william ,sadler1 who flourished in the eighteenth century4 ,i shall mention only two ,smiths1 both sons of ,smith of ,derby1 viz41 ,thomas ,correggio1 the elder and ,john ,raphael ,smith4 ,two ,william ,sherlocks exhibited miniatures at the ,royal ,academy in #ahjc4 ,joseph and ,william ,singleton were contemporary exhibitors during the last century4 ,of the three ,saunders1 ,george ,l4 is the most distinguished2 the other two1 ,joseph and ,r41 were father and son4 ,finally1 there were three ,smarts known as miniaturists1 viz41 ,samuel ,paul and the two ,john ,smarts1 father and son1 besides ,anthony ,smart and his two daughters4 ,i shall have something more to say later in this volume about several of the artists whom ,i have just mentioned1 but here ,i may refer to a miniature painter who may well be placed in a class by herself1 for she painted without hands or feet4 ,this lady was a ,mrs4 ,wright1 ne ,sarah ,biffin2 nothing daunted by her apparently overwhelming physical disabilities1 she learnt drawing1 and in #ahba was awarded a medal by the ,society of ,arts4 ,i am not aware of other miniature painters handicapped as ,miss ,biffin must have been4 ,but ,i know of several other artists who have worked without hands1 e4g41 ,c4 ,f4 ,felu1 a ,belgian painter1 who was a familiar figure in the ,antwerp ,gallery1 where he painted for many years1 and copied hundreds of the masterpieces therein4 ,he held his palette with his left great toe placed through the orifice in which it is usual to put the thumb1 and used the brush with his other foot with astonishing freedom and precision4 ,i remember to have seen him fasten the small metal hooks of his colour box with the utmost ease and celerity4 ,then there was ,w4 ,carter1 who1 having neither hands nor feet1 drew exquisitely with his mouth2 and of late years ,mr4 ,bartram ,hiles1 deprived of his arms by a tramcar accident1 has shown what a noble enthusiasm to practise as an artist can enable a man to do4 ,,on ,,the ,,care ,,of ,,miniatures4 ,first catch your hare1 said ,mrs4 ,glass in her immortal cookery-book4 ,and now1 the reader having collected miniatures1 or being their fortunate possessor by inheritance or otherwise1 it is not unimportant to know how to take proper care of them4 ,these delicate works of art are always subject to the attacks of two enemies1 and they are insidious enemies1 although of widely different natures4 ,the one is sunlight1 and the other is damp1 which brings mildew and disfigurement in its train4 ,it is really melancholy to see1 as one so often does1 the terrible destruction which has been wrought by these two agencies1 a destruction the nature and extent of which are1 perhaps1 only fully realised when one is fortunate enough to come across a work by a fine miniature painter in anything like its pristine condition4 ,i am talking of old miniatures1 of course1 and have in my mind as ,i write a portrait1 by one of the ,olivers1 ,i think1 of ,henry1 ,prince of ,wales1 that ,i saw in one of those interesting historical exhibitions at the ,new ,gallery2 the ,stuart it must have been4 ,this miniature was surrounded by many others1 ostensibly by the same artists1 and by examples of contemporary painters4 ,it doubtless had been kept covered up during the many years it had been painted1 and thus had a freshness and vigour which was absolutely startling in comparison with the faded1 ghostlike specimens to be seen around4 ,indeed1 it is only when we see a good miniature in anything like its original condition that we can grasp and fully appreciate the strength and beauty of the earlier masters1 and admit1 without any doubt or qualification1 their claim to our admiration4 ,illustration3 ,,queen ,,elizabeth4 7,harcourt family47 ,illustration3 ,r4 ,,cosway1 ,r4,a4 ,,miss ,,pretyman4 7,j4 ,davison1 ,esq47 ,take another painter1 ,nicholas ,hilliard4 ,a most prolific artist he would seem to be1 judging from the number of examples by him that ,i have met with2 speaking generally1 one may say that all his work is marked by flatness in the flesh-painting4 ,this artist was appointed painter of miniatures to ,queen ,elizabeth1 and we are told that he was instructed to paint her royal features without any shadows4 ,my point is that nearly all his work is marked more or less by the same peculiarity4 ,now this may be the result of a fashion set by the ,virgin ,queen1 and1 as imitation is the sincerest form of flattery 7and she was very fond of flattery71 that may in part account for the frequently ghostlike effect of the faces in ,hilliard's work2 but my own opinion is that in nearly all of them the carnations have flown1 as artists say4 ,that constant source of mischief--exposure to light--is always to be guarded against4 ,owners are1 it must be said1 very careless in such matters4 ,i have seen in the morning-rooms of great houses most valuable miniatures hung on the shutters1 or stuck about on a screen1 placed perhaps in the embrasure of a window4 ,no doubt the owners like to be surrounded by such things1 but they should at least have some consideration for posterity4 ,in such a room as ,i have spoken of you may perhaps see a case of miniatures hung over the mantelpiece1 with a hot chimney behind them4 ,within my own experience ,i have known most disastrous results1 from that cause alone1 in the case of historical miniatures of great value1 belonging to a noble owner who shall be nameless4 ,turning now to the other great disfigurement which so often besets miniatures--the ravages made by mildew4 ,this1 in some instances1 can be traced to the fact of cases containing miniatures being hung against a damp wall4 ,probably the simple expedient of a piece of cork1 fastened at each corner on the back of the case1 would have proved a safeguard4 ,this would prevent contact with the wall1 and allow of a current of air passing up behind4 ,although the fungus which results from damp is terribly disfiguring1 it dies off in time1 leaving a yellow stain4 ,this can be removed by a skilful hand and careful treatment1 and1 in so far1 is a less-to-be-dreaded enemy than light1 or ,i should say sunlight4 ,this latter1 of course1 can be easily guarded against by another simple expedient1 which is1 either to keep your miniatures locked up in drawers1 or1 if you must have them on your walls1 have a small rod fastened to the top of your case1 with a dark curtain on it which you can draw back at pleasure4 ,but ,i have heard some collectors say1 ,my miniatures have never been put against damp walls2 they have been kept in cases always1 yet they have mildew on them4 ,well1 it must be admitted that this unsightly1 objectionable fungus does appear unexpectedly and in the best regulated households4 ,no doubt the germs were there1 shut into the case2 in due course they have been developed1 bringing perplexity and dismay with them4 99 99 99 99 99 ,miniatures of a comparatively recent type1 that is to say upon ivory 7as well-informed collectors know1 it was not until the early ,georgian period that this substance was used to paint on7--miniatures on ivory1 ,i repeat1 are subject to curl1 warp1 and crack2 changes of temperature easily affect the thin slices which the artist uses2 when one of these splits1 as it often does1 the only thing to be done is carefully to lay the pieces down on cardboard1 joining the edges as skilfully as may be1 a task only to be performed satisfactorily by an expert4 ,the large miniatures by ,sir ,william ,ross1 ,sir ,w4 ,j4 ,newton1 and ,r4 ,thorburn are particularly liable to this mischief1 the reason for which is to be found in the practice of these artists in employing several pieces of ivory for one picture4 ,a large slab1 the largest procurable1 taken from the circumference of a tusk1 rolled flat under great pressure1 was laid down by gutta-percha upon a well-seasoned mahogany panel2 round this on all sides were laid other strips of ivory1 the whole forming a large surface upon which it was possible to paint an elaborate composition1 proportionately expensive1 7for that1 ,i take it1 was the principal incentive to the artist74 ,such pictures as these represented great labour--for you cannot wash in colour on ivory--and being highly finished all over1 warranted the artists in asking high prices1 and they obtained them4 ,other dangers there are1 arising from the cupidity excited by the value of these little works1 so easily removed1 and often in valuable settings4 ,but risks from those who break through and steal are common to all valuables1 and owners of property are alive to them4 ,yet these few words of reminder and caution against pilferers will1 ,i trust1 not be deemed out of place4 ,,ii ,,the ,,origin ,,of ,,the ,,art ,,chapter ,,ii ,,the ,,origin ,,of ,,the ,,art ,when we come to get a little familiar with old miniatures1 to have learned their language1 as it were1 we shall find that1 if they are authentic portraits1 they possess1 in addition to their high personal interest1 other and distinct values as illustrations of art1 of history1 and of costume4 ,they are1 in fact1 when genuine and contemporary1 precious documents1 some of which go back several centuries1 and are of great service in reading the history of the past4 ,they have1 like other works of art1 their definite origins2 and so1 too1 they have their own separate and distinct characteristics1 and it is upon these and such-like aspects of the study that ,i propose now to say a few words4 ,as in the case of so many arts and religions1 it is to the ,orient1 that cradle of them all1 as far as our present knowledge allows us to know1 that we must turn our eyes1 if we wish to find the earliest source of the practice4 ,there is no doubt whatever that the ,egyptian papyri were rubricated1 and we may safely conclude that the use of gold1 silver1 and colour in the ornamentation of ,,mss4 found its way from the valley of the ,nile into ,greece4 ,thence ,greek artists took it to ,rome1 and from ,rome the use spread throughout ,europe4 ,many choice historical miniatures have long pedigrees1 and it may be worth while to see how far back we can definitely trace the practice of the fascinating art which gave them birth4 ,on this point ,i may quote the opinion of the late ,keeper of the ,department of ,engravings in the ,bibliothque ,nationale1 ,paris1 ,m4 ,henri ,bouchot4 ,he had made1 as is well known1 a close and profound study of the art of the ,french ,primitifs1 and therefore the conclusions that he arrived at may1 ,i think1 be very safely taken on this subject4 ,writing many years ago in the ,gazette des ,beaux ,arts1 he said the origin of miniature painting is lost in the obscurity of the ninth century4 ,he contended that the heads which are to be found in ,,mss4 of that period1 the work of monkish artists1 are intended to represent some well-known prince1 emperor1 or pope of that time4 ,he suggested that the painter1 shut up in his monastery1 could only paint such a portrait from hearsay1 and from information which he gathered from brethren of his ,order1 or from neighbouring great nobles with whom he came in contact1 and who1 in their turn1 had seen the original of such a portrait or portraits4 ,if this distinguished ,french critic be right1 it follows that at that remote date such representations could have been little less than pure inventions2 and such1 indeed1 he would have us suppose to be the case for several centuries more4 ,but at the commencement of the fourteenth century it would seem that the illuminators set themselves to render the real portraiture of individuals2 and here1 from our point of view1 the especial interest of the subject may be said to begin4 ,illustration3 ,,fifteenth-,,century ,,missal4 ,a ,,philosopher4 7,wallace ,collection47 ,the art1 then1 may be traced to the illuminated devotional manuscripts1 ,books of the ,hours1 or ,lives of the ,saints1 enshrining minute1 exquisite1 and loving labour4 ,who these early artists of the ,scriptorium were we shall never know2 but the manuscripts which have escaped the wreck of ,time have come down to us1 silent yet eloquent testimonies of their authors' patience and skill4 ,it is in connection with their beautiful work that the word miniature came into existence1 the term being derived from the ,latin minium1 or red lead1 that being the pigment in which the capital letters in the manuscripts were drawn4 ,the art of medieval illumination was expressed by the ,latin verb miniare2 the word thus will be seen to be closely allied to our term rubric4 ,the persons employed in this work seem to have been classified as ,miniatori1 ,miniatori ,caligrifi1 or ,pulchri ,scriptores4 ,the first named painted scenes from ,scripture stories1 also the exquisite borders and arabesques4 ,to the others would be entrusted the writing of the body of the book4 ,but whilst we may thus go back to medieval times for the origin of the name1 it can hardly be said to have been in use with us before the beginning of the eighteenth century4 ,thus ,samuel ,pepys never uses the word1 while ,horace ,walpole constantly does so4 ,an entry in the ,diary of the former1 made in #affh1 speaks of his wife's picture which ,samuel ,cooper painted for him2 and earlier--that is1 in #affb--;,john ,evelyn relates how he was called in to the closet of the ,king 7,charles ,,ii471 and saw ,mr4 ,cooper1 the rare limner1 crayoning of the ,king's face and head to make the stamps by for the new milled money now contriving4 ,the reader will observe that no mention of the word miniature is made by either writer4 ,and there is something arbitrary in the use of the word now and always1 for it is restricted to portraits in water-colours or gouache1 whether on vellum1 paper1 or ivory4 ,yet figures when painted in oil1 even though as small as ,gerard ,dow's1 or not more than two or three inches high1 are called small pictures4 ,when the most important exhibition of miniatures ever held in this country--namely1 the collection which was brought together at ,south ,kensington1 in #ahfe--was being arranged1 its organisers were confronted with the difficulty attaching to a definition of the term2 and it may be worth while to give the conclusion they arrived at4 ,in reply to the question1 ,what constitutes a miniature portrait8 they remark that miniatures may be drawn on any material1 painted in any medium1 and in every style of art4 ,commencing with the head only1 to which the skill of some of our early face painters was limited1 we find their works followed by miniature half-lengths1 whole-lengths1 and groups2 but from these no technical1 accepted definition of the term miniature can be derived4 ,without1 therefore1 attempting to lay down a rule1 it was deemed best in the interests of the exhibition to accept all such works as were drawn to a small scale and were1 in manner1 of a miniature character1 except paintings on porcelain4 ,illustration3 ,,unknown4 ,,sir ,,walter ,,raleigh4 ,,walter ,,raleigh1 ,,junior4 7,duke of ,rutland47 ,returning to the origin of the term1 we see that it was the ornamentation of the office of the ,mass in use in the ,christian ,church which really gave rise to it4 ,under the protection of ,constantine1 ,christian art may be said to have come into existence in the fourth century at ,byzantium4 ,work of this period has a very strongly marked and sufficiently familiar character of its own4 ,the ,canterbury ,gospels in the ,british ,museum are ascribed to the eighth century1 and the ,louvre possesses a noble work in the shape of the ,prayer ,book of ,charlemagne1 which belongs to the ninth century4 ,it is to ,charlemagne that we owe the ,carlovingian school1 and when the tomb of the great ,emperor1 at ,aix-la-,chapelle1 was opened1 a copy of the ,gospels was found upon his knees4 ,another very interesting school is the ,hibernian1 sometimes called ,anglo-,celtic4 ,a characteristic feature of this work is the inferiority of the figure-drawing1 but the elaborate and beautiful interlacing of the geometrical patterns is no less remarkable4 ,perhaps the best-known example of this school is the ,book of ,kells1 preserved in ,trinity ,college1 ,dublin4 ,brought from the abbey church of ,kells in #afba by ,archbishop ,ussher1 it was confiscated during the ,commonwealth1 but restored to ,trinity ,college by ,charles ,,ii4 after the ,restoration4 ,still dealing with the early work of this nature1 ,i may briefly refer to what is known as ,opus ,anglicum1 of which the ,benedictional of ,st4 ,ethelwald1 belonging to the ,duke of ,devonshire1 is the most celebrated example4 ,this belongs to the latter part of the tenth century1 as we know by a ,dedication it contains1 showing that it was made for ,ethelwald1 ,bishop of ,winchester from #ifc to #ihd ,a4,d4 ,the ,bishop commanded a certain monk subject to him 7the scribe ,godeman7 to write the present book1 and ordered also to be made in it certain arches1 elegantly decorated and filled up with various ornamental pictures expressed in divers beautiful colours and gold4 ,and so we might go on to consider the various ,continental schools--the ,flemish and ,german1 the ,french and ,italian--but the subject is too large to be dealt with here4 ,those of my readers who care to pursue a fascinating study will find ample illustration in the freely displayed treasures of the ,british ,museum1 where fine examples of every school may be seen4 ,at ,hertford ,house the ,wallace ,collection1 amongst its multifarious treasures1 contains some initial letters which have been cut out of ,,mss41 no doubt on account of their beauty4 ,they are obviously portraiture4 ,the example here shown is ,italian work1 and is taken from a fifteenth-century missal4 ,whilst ,i am unable to enter upon details of the earliest schools1 ,i may observe that the material upon which work of this nature was done has a practical bearing upon our subject4 ,it was upon vellum1 sometimes stained purple1 upon which the letters were written in gold or silver4 ,there is a magnificent example of this work1 known as the ,codex ,purpureo-,argenteus1 preserved at ,upsala1 in ,sweden4 ,this has been dated as early as ,a4,d4 #cfj4 ,and ,i remember the pride with which the monks in the remote monastery on the ,isle of ,patmos showed me five pages of one of the ,gospels1 also on vellum1 stained purple1 which had been preserved in their library with religious care for unknown centuries4 ,the surface of the vellum1 naturally greasy1 would have to be carefully prepared for the art of the steyners1 as they came to be called4 ,when so prepared it was called ,pecorella4 ,illustration3 ,,back ,,of ,,the ,,enamel ,,case ,,containing ,,the ,,raleigh ,,portraits4 7,duke of ,rutland47 ,to vellum succeeded cardboard4 ,nicholas ,hilliard and the great ,english miniature painter ,samuel ,cooper commonly used old playing cards2 and a very good substance for the purpose they were1 not being so liable to cockle as vellum1 nor to crack1 curl1 and split as ivory under certain conditions is liable to do4 ,it has already been noted that ivory did not come into use for such purposes until about the end of the seventeenth or beginning of the eighteenth century4 ,this is a very important point in detecting forgeries1 and1 indeed1 in determining the age of any work about which doubt may exist4 ,the way to paint miniatures is no part of the subject of this book2 nevertheless1 by way of giving a practical value to its pages1 ,i may state the method employed by a miniature painter with whom ,i was well acquainted and whose work ,i greatly admired1 and this seems a convenient place to do so4 ,the artist to whom ,i refer was the late ,robert ,henderson1 a self-taught man1 born in ,dumfries4 ,he lived to the close of the nineteenth century1 but the manner of his execution was essentially that of the mid-,victorian painters1 and whilst it had not quite the brilliancy of the flesh tones of ,sir ,william ,ross1 for example1 whose work he greatly admired1 it was always conscientious1 sound1 and excellent4 ,without being laboured1 it was always marked by a careful finish4 ,he was a frequent exhibitor in the ,royal ,academy1 but was indifferent to the distinction1 having constant employment from ,messrs4 ,dickinson for a long series of years1 during which he painted a large number of the ,british aristocracy4 ,i am able to subjoin some account of his method of working and choice of colours from particulars he gave me himself1 and as they may be useful to others1 ,i extract them pretty much in his own words3-- ,having chosen a piece of ivory of good colour and even texture1 prepare its surface by rubbing it with the finest glass paper4 ,the first step is to draw the likeness with a blacklead pencil on paper1 not on the ivory itself1 because1 if any corrections are needed1 they cannot be made without smudging and making the ivory dirty1 a thing to be studiously avoided4 ,this drawing should then be carefully transferred to the surface of the ivory by means of a piece of tracing paper4 ,now take a nice flat sable brush1 and wash the face all over with a flesh colour1 then indicate the features1 eyes1 and so forth1 touching in the nostrils and mouth4 ,next prepare a grey tint1 made of cobalt or ultramarine with a tinge of red to give it a lilac tint4 ,wash this all round the outer part of the face--not touching the centre of the face4 ,then with a little blue mixed with the flesh colour1 work up the face until you get somewhat the effect of an engraving4 ,this being done1 you may proceed to put in the deepest shadows1 e4g41 under the nose and eyebrows1 with a warm colour composed of a light red with a little blue in it4 ,having got your deep shadows in1 use the grey again1 this time with a little more flesh colour1 and blend the whole together4 ,illustration3 ,,ascribed ,,to ,,lucas ,,de ,,heere4 ,,sir ,,john ,,hatton ,,and ,,his ,,mother4 7,earl ,spencer47 ,for a flesh colour ,i used to employ rose madder and cadmium yellow in about equal proportions2 for men's complexions light red alone makes a good flesh wash4 ,there is a new red brought out which is warranted to be thoroughly permanent2 it is a useful colour1 called mazarine1 and comes in for everything4 ,there have been suspicions cast upon rose madder1 but ,i have found it stand well enough in ordinary miniature painting4 ,carmine was used by ,sir ,william ,ross and ,thorburn1 certainly1 but that was apt to go dark in colour4 ,the madders are very delicate colours4 ,eyes--for hazel use burnt sienna and ,french ultramarine1 real ultramarine being very expensive4 ,for ordinary dark brown eyes nothing is better than sepia2 for blue eyes it depends on the shade--if bright strong blue1 cobalt is the best colour2 for grey eyes use cobalt and a little light red--the latter very sparingly4 ,cat's eyes 7by which ,i mean greenish7 require peculiar colouring1 which must depend on circumstances and be treated accordingly4 ,hair is a troublesome thing to get right4 ,for golden hair ,i use a very thin wash of burnt sienna2 for the half tones a purple tint--blue and red mixed in equal parts1 and for the deep shadows burnt sienna4 ,for ordinary dark hair nothing is better than sepia1 and for the high lights a purple grey--blue and a touch of red--that gives a glossiness to the hair4 ,for grey hair simply mix sepia and ultramarine2 for red hair burnt sienna is used principally1 shaded with sepia in the dark parts4 ,backgrounds--for the ordinary1 deep1 plain1 brownish1 the best thing is a wash of burnt sienna and ultramarine1 in proportions as required to obtain warmer or cooler effects4 ,for a cloudy sky or background use cobalt for the blue and light red mixed with cobalt for the deeper shadows2 where the shadows come near the figure1 use brown madder and cobalt2 touch the edges of the clouds with light red alone1 to give a warm1 cloudy effect4 ,draperies--for a man's black coat use blue-black and cobalt1 mixed in about equal proportions1 and a little madder lake2 put in the shadows with sepia4 ,for a lady's black silk use much the same1 only less blue-black and more cobalt1 with a little light red in it2 use sepia again for the shadows1 as it gives a warmer tone than black itself4 ,if lights are required on a black coat when it is too black1 body colour must be used--white1 with a little light red mixed with it4 ,,iii ,,concerning ,,enamels ,,and ,,enamel ,,painters ,,chapter ,,iii ,,concerning ,,enamels ,,and ,,enamel ,,painters ,the subject of enamel has a close relation to that of these pages1 although its uses1 as need hardly be said1 far transcend the limits of portraiture4 ,every substance1 whether earthenware1 stone1 or metal1 to which a vitreous substance can be made to adhere by heat may be enamelled1 but this term is usually restricted to metalwork ornamented by a vitreous glaze4 ,as in the case of illuminated manuscripts1 we find the earliest instances of the use of enamel in ,egypt1 and ,dr4 ,birch is our authority for believing that there was a method of inlaying glass1 jasper1 and lapis lazuli1 which resembled enamel in effect1 employed as far back as the ,fourth ,egyptian ,dynasty--that is to say1 some four thousand years before the ,christian era4 ,the ,chinese have had it in use for unknown centuries1 and it was applied by the ,etruscans and ,greeks to enrich their jewellery4 ,it has been found employed for horse trappings and for human ornaments1 such as brooches1 bracelets1 and rings1 both in this country and in ,ireland1 under circumstances which lead us to assign it to pre-,roman days4 ,but it is with the seat of ,roman power on the ,bosphorus1 namely1 ,byzantium1 in the early ,christian centuries1 that antique enamels seem most closely associated2 and the museums of ,europe contain great numbers of marvellous works of this description originating from that source4 ,what has come down to us is for the most part intended for ecclesiastical use2 reliquaries1 diptychs1 triptychs1 the covers of missals1 chalices1 crosses1 and objects of a like nature abound4 ,on many of these there are what may1 in a sense1 be termed portraits of saints and ecclesiastical dignitaries2 but it is obvious that no attempt at likeness1 as we moderns understand it1 can have been made in this work of the fourth to the eleventh centuries4 ,this ,byzantine style and influence1 which have left such a deep mark in art1 may be said to survive to this day in the ritual of the ,greek ,church2 but that is another story4 ,i may remark that the ,byzantine work is for the most part what is called cloisonn2 this term1 and one of a somewhat similar sound1 namely champlev1 is constantly used in descriptions of old enamel1 and it may be well1 therefore1 to define what is meant by each respectively4 ,the former has been described by ,m4 ,lebarte as being made in the following manner3 ,the plate of metal intended as a foundation was first provided with a little rim to retain the enamel4 ,slender strips of gold of the same depth as the rim were then bent in short lengths and fashioned to form the outline of the pattern4 ,these short bits were then fixed upright upon the plate4 ,the metal outline being thus arranged1 the intervening spaces were filled with the different enamels1 reduced to a fine powder and moistened into a paste4 ,the piece was then placed in the furnace1 and when the fusion was complete1 was withdrawn1 with certain precautions that the cooling might be effected gradually4 ,the enamel1 when thoroughly cold1 was ground and polished4 ,it is easy to comprehend that the old artists must have used very pure gold and extremely fusible enamels1 in order that the plate might not be injured from the action of the fire or the thin strips of metal be melted by the heat which fused the paste4 ,illustration3 ,,after ,j4 ,,hysing4 ,c4 ,f4 ,,zincke ,,and ,,his ,,wife4 ,the method of preparing champlev is as follows3 ,a slender line of metal shows on the surface the principal outlines of the design2 but the outline1 instead of being arranged in detached pieces1 is formed out of a portion of the plate itself4 ,the artist1 having polished a piece of metal about a quarter of an inch thick1 generally copper1 traced upon it the outlines of his subject2 then1 with proper tools he hollowed out all the spaces to be filled with the different enamels1 leaving slender lines level with the original surface to keep them distinct4 ,the vitreous matter1 either dry or reduced to a paste1 was then introduced into the cavities1 and fusion was effected by the same process as in the cloisonn enamels4 ,after the piece had become cold it was polished1 and the exposed lines of copper having been gilded1 it was returned to the fire4 ,the gilding only required a moderate temperature1 not high enough to injure the incrustations of enamel4 ,byzantium1 as ,i have said1 was a great seat of the cloisonn process1 and the celebrated ,pala d'oro1 a magnificent altar front now preserved at ,st4 ,mark's1 ,venice1 was made at ,constantinople about the year #aajj4 ,in champlev enamelling1 although the art was practised in the ,rhenish provinces of ,germany1 it was at ,limoges1 in ,france1 that the finest work was done1 and in the thirteenth century opus ,lemoviticum was in high favour4 ,a century later1 when the city was sacked by the troops of ,edward the ,black ,prince1 the manufacture received a great check4 ,but with the ,renaissance came a renewed demand for enamels1 which were used in combination with articles of domestic utility1 and in the reign of ,francis the ,first the enamellers of ,limoges1 among whom ,suzanne de ,court1 ,laudin1 ,jehan ,courtois1 and ,pierre ,reymond are well known1 produced decorative works of the most costly and beautiful nature4 ,whole families devoted themselves to the art1 and their traditions were handed on from generation to generation4 ,but perhaps the most famous name in connection with this ,french work is that of ,lonard ,limousin1 and three others1 namely1 ,jean1 ,joseph1 and ,franois1 of the same family4 ,lonard ,limousin1 who was appointed painter to the king1 ,franois ,i41 has expressed in numerous pieces which have come from his hand the very spirit of the ,renaissance1 partly devotional and still more strongly classical and sensuous in feeling and treatment4 ,old ,limoges enamel1 as we all know1 is extremely valuable2 single pieces from the ,hamilton ,palace ,collection were sold at ,christie's in the celebrated sale for something like #b1jjj apiece4 ,the subject is far too wide to be treated exhaustively in this book1 but at the ,victoria and ,albert ,museum examples will be found of the various styles1 and the varied uses to which they were applied4 ,the ,british ,museum of late years has been enriched by what is known as the ,waddesdon ,collection1 bequeathed by the late ,baron ,ferdinand de ,rothschild2 and in ,paris the ,cluny ,museum1 and especially the ,salle d',apollon in the ,louvre1 are extremely rich in works of this nature4 ,illustration3 ,,after ,,dance4 ,,jeremiah ,,meyer1 ,r4,a4 ,illustration3 ,,nathaniel ,,hone1 ,r4,a41 ,,by ,,himself4 ,all these collections contain portraiture in enamel1 but one would hesitate to say that the portrait is the primary object in the production of these works1 in which undoubtedly a decorative feeling largely predominates4 ,although in the general treatment they were feeling their way to a larger palette1 no attempt seems to have been made by these earlier artists to get anything approaching reality in the flesh tones2 they were left a uniform cold white4 ,until one has got a little used to this absence of colour1 and the metallic hardness which the use of oxide of tin in the paste of the enamel gave rise to1 and until one recognises that it is the conventional mode of treating them1 the pallor of the faces1 contrasted1 as it generally is1 with a deep blue1 or sometimes shining black background1 is somewhat repellent4 ,take1 for example1 the large medallion of the ,cardinal de ,lorraine1 ,charles de ,guise1 uncle to ,mary ,stuart1 a piece which cost the nation #b1jjj1 and may be seen at ,kensington4 ,it represents the ,cardinal in scarlet robes and a biretta4 ,the head1 fully seven inches long1 is painted upon a deep blue ground2 his hair is black1 the eyes are blue1 and the effect of the whole is1 it must be admitted1 extremely hard1 in spite of the distinguished name its author1 ,lonard ,limousin1 bears in the ranks of medieval enamellers4 ,the work is as different as possible from the exquisite minuteness which characterises other enamel painters1 like ,petitot1 for instance1 to whom we shall come by and by4 ,the same lack of modelling and of half-tones may be observed in the portraits in the ,waddesdon room at the ,british ,museum1 to which reference has already been made4 ,see1 for example1 the large panel1 #i inches by #ab1 or thereabouts1 of ,catherine de ,lorraine1 ,duchess de ,montpensier4 ,this lady wears her hair in a golden and jewelled net2 her open collar is laced with pearls2 this piece is also signed ,limousin1 and may be regarded as a typical sixteenth-century portrait4 ,the step forward which was to elevate the art of painting in enamel to the highest possible pitch of technical execution1 of artistic treatment and minute finish1 was taken by ,jean ,petitot1 a ,genevan1 born in #afji4 ,apart from the wonderful skill of the artist1 who1 in respect of technique1 must be considered absolutely unique1 the means by which such beautiful1 delicate1 and minute effects could be produced in so difficult an art as that of fusing colours would be in itself an interesting study4 ,probably it is to ,jean ,toutin1 an obscure ,french goldsmith1 who lived at ,chteaudun1 and1 assisted by ,isaac ,gribelin1 a painter in pastels1 and doubtless by his son1 ,henri ,toutin1 of ,blois1 produced1 about #afcb1 a variety of colours which he found could be laid upon a thin ground of white enamel1 and passed through a furnace with scarcely any change of tint1 that ,petitot owed the richness of his palette4 ,from ,toutin1 and from ,pierre ,bordier1 another ,french goldsmith1 to whom he was apprenticed1 ,petitot gained the insight into enamelling which bore such rich fruit when he came to this country in his twenty-eighth year1 attracted1 there is little doubt1 by the reputation then enjoyed by our king1 ,charles ,i41 as a patron of art4 ,the ,english monarch had in his service as physician at that time a certain ,sir ,turquet de ,mayerne1 himself a ,genevan and a chemist of ,european celebrity4 ,he and ,petitot pursued scientific research into the nature and properties of the metallic oxides with such ardour and success that the miniature painter's palette became greatly enriched1 and he was able to express all the nuances of flesh colouring in a way which had never before been approached and1 ,i may add1 has never been surpassed4 ,when one realises the extraordinary minuteness and exquisite finish of a work of ,petitot1 and the difficulties of the method--by which ,i mean the risks attending the firing--it is almost incredible that such success could be attained2 but probably there were large numbers of failures of which the world knows nothing4 ,in some of the ,limoges work we see attempts at colouring the cheeks2 but the result is not satisfactory2 whereas in ,petitot it leaves absolutely nothing to be desired1 and the most minute differences of character find expression in the art of this wonderful man4 ,take as an example the two portraits of ,louis ,,xiv41 to be seen in the ,jones ,collection in the ,victoria and ,albert ,museum1 one representing the ,grand ,monarque when young1 the other in more advanced years2 or1 from the same ,collection1 take the portraits of ,mme4 de ,montespan and ,mlle4 de la ,vallire2 and compare these again with the insipidity and monotony of ,lely and ,kneller1 the two artists most in vogue in this country at that time2 here you have upon a small piece of gold1 perhaps hardly bigger than a finger-nail1 nearly all that may be looked for in a portrait1 coupled with a perfection of technical execution to which it is impossible to do justice in words4 ,one comes away from an examination of that admirable collection which the nation owes to the generosity of ,mr4 ,john ,jones with a paramount feeling of astonishment1 wondering how such work was done4 ,of course ,petitot has had innumerable imitators2 and although the standard of the ,collection to which reference has just been made is very high1 there are in it examples which are instructive1 and serve to show how supreme the master was in his own line4 ,a contemporary pupil1 namely ,jacques ,bordier1 was a cousin of the ,pierre ,bordier1 ,petitot's old master and colleague1 of whom ,i have just spoken4 ,according to ,m4 ,reiset this ,jacques ,bordier also worked in ,england with ,petitot4 ,like ,petitot1 he returned to the ,continent1 and did a great deal of work in ,paris upon watch-cases2 the two men married two sisters1 ,madeleine and ,margaret ,cuper1 in #afea4 ,pierre ,bordier stopped in this country and executed an elaborate watch-cover1 designed as a memorial of the ,battle of ,naseby1 presented to ,general ,fairfax1 and described in the catalogue of the sale of ,strawberry ,hill1 where it was sold4 ,it was1 doubtless1 the troubles of the ,civil ,war which drove the great enameller back to ,france1 where he was well received by ,louis ,,xiv41 and commissions flowed in upon him until the close of his life2 indeed1 he is said to have retired to ,vevey to escape the importunity of his patrons2 and there he died1 at an advanced age1 in the year #afia4 ,illustration3 ,,sir ,a4 ,,more4 ,,thomas ,,howard4 7,duke of ,norfolk47 ,illustration3 ,,john ,,bettes4 ,,edmond ,,butts4 7,national ,gallery47 ,the art of which this incomparable miniaturist was such a great exponent was peculiarly adapted to a form of patronage much in vogue at that time2 that is to say1 it was employed in the adornment of costly and exquisite snuff-boxes4 ,these boites aux portraits1 as they were called1 were extensively used for diplomatic purposes1 and portraits of the ,grand ,monarque were ordered by the dozen at a time4 ,the presentation of boxes of such a character with a portrait on1 or inside1 the lid1 with or without a setting of brilliants1 as the rank and importance1 or otherwise1 of the fortunate recipient required1 were part of the ceremonial usage and ,court etiquette of the day4 ,the ,collection left to ,south ,kensington by ,mr4 ,gardiner1 the extremely choice examples in the ,wallace ,collection1 and the still larger collection left by the ,lenoirs to the ,louvre1 show the extravagant pitch to which work of this kind was carried1 the diamond settings alone often running to a cost of many thousands of francs4 ,for example1 a portrait of ,louis ,,xvi41 when ,dauphin1 was presented to ,marie ,antoinette4 ,the portrait was painted by the most eminent miniature painter of his day1 namely ,pierre ,adolphe ,hall2 the artist received #b1fhd francs1 and the cost of the box and brilliants was over #ge1jjj francs4 ,petitot may be studied to full advantage at the ,jones ,collection1 even better than at the ,louvre1 whilst at ,hertford ,house there are only a couple of examples attributed to him4 ,in private collections there are some notable works which passed from ,strawberry ,hill into the possession of the late ,baroness ,burdett ,coutts2 and the ,earl of ,dartrey also owns a number4 ,the portrait1 shown in this book1 of ,petitot le ,vieux1 is from this nobleman's collection1 which1 by the way1 is also rich in examples by the brothers ,hurter4 ,these two enamellers came from ,schaffhausen1 being introduced to the ,british aristocracy by the ,lord ,dartrey of that day4 ,some thirty examples of their work were shown at the ,loan ,exhibition at ,south ,kensington in #ahfe by the then ,lord ,cremorne4 ,at ,althorp is a portrait of the beautiful ,duchess of ,devonshire by ,john ,henry ,hurter2 and ,lord ,dartrey has a portrait of ,queen ,charlotte painted by ,j4 ,f4 ,c4 ,hurter4 ,illustration3 ,,henry ,,brandon4 7,h4,m4 the ,king47 ,illustration3 ,,hans ,,holbein ,,the ,,younger4 ,,himself4 7,from a drawing at ,basle47 ,illustration3 ,,charles ,,brandon4 7,h4,m4 the ,king47 ,we now pass on to consider the art of painting portraits in enamel as practised in this country4 ,the first name of any importance in this connection is that of ,charles ,boit1 a native of ,stockholm1 but of ,french extraction4 ,he was born in #affc1 and when he was about twenty came to this country and worked as a jeweller4 ,being unable to succeed in that occupation1 he turned drawing-master1 and ,walpole tells us of an intrigue which led to his being thrown into prison for two years1 time which he is said to have turned to advantage by practising enamel painting1 though how that could have been done under such circumstances ,i do not know4 ,ultimately he became celebrated for his work1 and obtained high prices for it ,he attempted pieces on a large scale1 the difficulties of which are enormously enhanced by their size1 as is well known to craftsmen4 ,one was intended for ,queen ,anne1 and the artist is said to have received a thousand pounds advance on it1 but before he succeeded in firing it some #gjj or #hjj were spent1 which led him into such difficulties that he escaped to ,france1 where he died1 about #agbf4 ,there is a large1 though not particularly attractive1 example of ,boit's to be seen in the ,ashmolean ,museum at ,oxford2 but specimens of his art are not very common1 and are not nearly so often met with as those by ,c4 ,f4 ,zincke1 whose spick-and-span style and bright blue draperies are well known2 ,oxford is rich in them4 ,this ,dresden miniature painter1 whose features are familiar to print collectors from the mezzotint of him and his wife by ,faber1 came to ,england in #agjf and obtained the patronage of ,george ,,ii41 although that uninteresting monarch hated boetry and bainting4 ,zincke's work is1 indeed1 typically early ,georgian1 and repeats the insipidities of ,kneller on a small scale1 with a persistent consistency which is monotonous in the extreme4 ,horace ,walpole had a high opinion of his work2 he declared that it surpassed that of ,boit and rivalled ,petitot1 an opinion which few who know the merits of ,petitot's exquisite art are likely to endorse4 ,failure of eyesight led ,zincke to retire in #agdf2 but he lived some twenty years longer4 ,during the forty years that he practised his art he must have executed an enormous number of portraits1 for he was the fashionable artist of his day1 and so great was the patronage bestowed upon him that he raised his prices to limit the number of his patrons4 ,a pupil of ,zincke's was ,william ,prewitt1 who is not1 ,i think1 very well known4 ,there is an example by him to be seen in the ,victoria and ,albert ,museum1 a body-colour drawing4 ,the ,duke of ,buccleuch has a portrait of ,horace ,walpole when young1 also painted by ,prewitt4 ,another miniaturist who was especially an enameller was ,charles ,muss1 said by some to be an ,italian1 and by others to have been born at ,newcastle-on-,tyne in #aggi4 ,he was enamel painter to ,george ,,iii4 and ,george ,,iv42 and devoted himself especially to copying old masters4 ,examples of his work in this direction will be found in the ,plumley ,collection in the ,victoria and ,albert ,museum4 ,illustration3 ,,hans ,,holbein ,,the ,,younger4 ,a ,,burgomaster4 7,h4,m4 the ,king47 ,illustration3 ,,lady ,,audley4 7,h4,m4 the ,king47 ,a much better-known enameller is ,nathaniel ,hone1 an ,irishman of a self-assertive1 not to say aggressive1 personality1 if one may judge by the tone of his remarks when he quarrelled with the ,academy1 of which he was a full member1 over his picture called ,the ,conjurer4 ,this indifferent painting excited an amount of attention of which it was quite undeserving from the tongue of scandal1 which asserted that ,sir ,joshua ,reynolds and ,angelica ,kauffmann were satirised in the composition1 and that one of the naked figures dancing in the background was intended for the fair ,academician4 ,hone essayed the various branches of art with varying success4 ,there is a characteristic portrait of himself in the ,diploma collection of the ,royal ,academy4 ,he1 too1 had a share of ,royal patronage1 and painted many of the notabilities of his day1 including the lovely ,misses ,gunning4 ,he had a son1 ,horace ,hone1 who was made an ,associate of the ,academy1 and who also practised as a miniature painter4 ,his work is considered inferior to that of his father4 ,john ,plott1 another miniaturist1 was also a pupil of the elder ,hone1 and was born at ,winchester1 where he studied law4 ,forsaking that pursuit1 he came to ,london1 and was at first a pupil of ,richard ,wilson ,r4,a4 ,two other ,academicians associated with this period1 and both enamellers of exceptional ability1 are ,george ,michael ,moser and ,jeremiah ,meyer4 ,moser was the son of a sculptor1 and was born at ,st4 ,galle1 in #agjd4 ,upon his arrival in this country he found employment with the ,royal ,family1 and1 being a fine medallist1 was commissioned to design the ,king's ,great ,seal4 ,no doubt he had social gifts1 and he certainly enjoyed the respect and friendship of ,sir ,joshua ,reynolds4 ,he was one of the most active founders of the ,royal ,academy1 and was made its first ,keeper4 ,his only child1 ,mary ,moser1 was a flower painter of great reputation in her day4 ,she married a ,captain ,lloyd1 but is reported to have gone about the country in the company of ,richard ,cosway1 who at the beginning of the century was separated from his wife1 ,maria4 ,this ,mary ,moser1 by the way1 was a lady ,royal ,academician1 like the fair ,angelica ,kauffmann4 ,jeremiah ,meyer1 the other enameller whom ,i have mentioned1 was also a foundation member of the ,royal ,academy2 he was1 moreover1 a very fine miniature painter4 ,great refinement of colour1 excellent drawing1 perfect finish1 and1 what is perhaps more rare in miniature work1 truth to life1 distinguish his miniatures4 ,he came to ,london when he was fourteen1 and was a pupil of ,zincke for two years4 ,fifteen years later1 when only twenty-nine1 he was made enameller to ,george ,,iii4 ,he was a constant exhibitor at the ,academy1 where he showed some twenty pieces4 ,he was born at ,tubingen1 in #agce1 and died in #aghi1 some three years before ,sir ,joshua ,reynolds1 whose work is said greatly to have influenced his style4 ,the palette of the enamel painter is a very rich one1 but not all the colours to be found amongst the metallic oxides fuse at the same temperature4 ,hence the artist must be able to judge most accurately the length of time that each will stand the heat without melting too much and running one into the other4 ,such acquaintance can only be acquired by pains-taking practice1 and it is obvious how greatly the difficulties of portraiture are enhanced under such conditions4 ,it is usual to place these opaque colours upon the enamel ground1 on a gold or copper plate1 applying the hardest vitrifiable colour first1 then the less hard1 and so on4 ,it is perhaps not surprising that so delicate a process1 liable to be attended by failure at every step1 has fallen out of fashion in these days1 and as a matter of fact it is now scarcely attempted in this country at all--that is to say1 in the way of portraiture4 ,formerly1 however1 it was carried on here with more or less success1 and one interesting practice of the art may be named before we leave this part of our subject4 ,i refer to what are known as the ,battersea enamels4 ,in the middle of the eighteenth century1 under the management of ,s4 ,j4 ,jansen1 many articles1 such as candlesticks1 patch-boxes and snuff-boxes1 and such like1 were produced4 ,these are fairly well drawn and coloured1 and consist largely of flowers1 birds and fruit1 and so forth1 generally on a white ground4 ,but beside all these there are a number of contemporary portraits1 produced by means of transfers from copper plates4 ,amongst these are the beautiful ,misses ,gunning1 the ,royal ,family of the day1 ,gibbon1 and many others4 ,some may be seen in the ,franks ,collection at the ,british ,museum1 and a more important collection is at the ,victoria and ,albert1 brought together by the late ,lady ,charlotte ,schreiber4 ,to a somewhat later period than that we have been discussing belongs ,henry ,bone1 ,r4,a41 who1 like so many other artists1 came from the ,west of ,england1 having been born at ,truro1 in #agee4 ,the circumstances of his early life doubtless somewhat affected the direction which his artistic efforts took1 he having been apprenticed in a china manufactory at ,plymouth4 ,he removed with it to ,bristol in #aggh1 and1 coming to ,london1 was employed in painting devices in enamel on trinkets4 ,he first attracted attention in ,london by an enamel of the ,sleeping ,girl1 after ,sir ,joshua ,reynolds1 which was exhibited at the ,royal ,academy in #aghj4 ,this led to his being appointed enamel painter to ,royalty1 and ,george1 ,prince of ,wales1 extended his patronage to him4 ,academical honours followed2 he was made an ,associate in #ahja1 and full member ten years later4 ,bone stands out as the enameller par excellence of the ,english school2 and he was astonishingly successful in many large and ambitious pieces4 ,for example1 he was paid two thousand guineas for a plaque measuring #ah by #ae inches1 a copy of ,titian's ,bacchus and ,ariadne1 in the ,national ,gallery4 ,he devoted himself especially to copying the works of the great masters1 such as ,raphael1 ,titian1 and ,murillo4 ,he also executed a series of #he copies of portraits of the statesmen and others who lived in the spacious days of great ,elizabeth4 ,but whilst a large measure of success may be ungrudgingly accorded him in respect of these works1 the flesh tones in his painting often leave something to be desired2 there is a suggestion of painting on porcelain1 and of the smoothness and want of vitality that characterise that kind of work1 and are so fatal to its artistic completeness4 ,it would be a little curious to trace this tendency to what may be termed ceramic smoothness to the early training of ,bone as a china-painter4 ,at any rate1 it may be recognised as characteristic of his style4 ,his son1 ,henry ,pierce ,bone1 followed his father's footsteps in painting a great number of copies from the old masters4 ,the elder ,bone died in #ahcd1 the younger lived some twenty years longer4 ,besides these two1 there was a ,p4 ,j4 ,bone1 who exhibited an enamel at the ,royal ,academy in #ahja2 and there were also two other ,bones1 whose names appear in the catalogues1 namely1 ,w4 ,bone and ,c4 ,r4 ,bone4 ,they were the grandsons of ,henry1 and exhibited up to #ahea1 the latter alone contributing #fg miniatures to the ,academy4 ,illustration3 ,,hans ,,holbein ,,the ,,younger4 ,,catharine ,,of ,,arragon4 ,illustration3 ,,henry ,,viii4 7,h4,m4 the ,king47 ,illustration3 ,,henry1 ,,duke ,,of ,,richmond4 7,h4,m4 the ,king47 ,the last enamellers that ,i would mention are the ,essexes1 ,william and ,william ,b4 ,the former was born in #aghd1 and died at ,brighton1 in #ahfi4 ,in his long life he exhibited a large number of works at the ,royal ,academy1 mostly portraits1 ,h4,m4 the late ,queen ,victoria giving him much employment1 and appointing him her enamel painter in #ahci4 ,although most of his works exhibited at the ,academy from #ahah until within five years of his death were portraits1 or copies of paintings by the old masters1 animal painting was really his forte1 as may be seen by an examination of his work at the ,victoria and ,albert ,museum4 ,his son1 ,w4 ,b4 ,essex1 died in ,birmingham1 in #aheb1 at the early age of twenty-nine1 having contributed to the ,academy from #ahde to #ahea some ten or twelve portraits4 ,in concluding these remarks upon enamel painting1 one cannot help feeling a certain regret that the art1 as applied to portraiture1 ,i mean1 should have fallen into such desuetude in these days4 ,when one considers the beautiful effects which have been produced in it by the hands of masters1 and especially the valuable quality of permanence which such works possess 7for an enamel by ,petitot is as brilliant to-day as it was when it was fired71 one must wish that artists would devote themselves to so satisfactory a record of contemporary portraiture4 ,miniature painting upon ivory1 charming as it is in its delicate effects1 is1 as we all know1 subject to the great defect of being fleeting in its nature1 when exposed to light4 ,not only has the charm and beauty of many a miniature by ,cosway vanished utterly1 but a green and ghastly caricature is left in its place1 a travesty and a libel upon the original4 ,the amount of time and patience requisite to produce an enamel is1 no doubt1 the secret of the neglect into which it has fallen in these days4 ,the tendency to haste and to hurry1 with its concomitant1 cheapness of production1 is1 we are told1 ruining the art of such conservative craftsmen as those of ,china1 of ,japan1 and of ,india2 and if these ,western tendencies have made their influence felt in the ,far ,east1 it is not to be wondered at that in ,england of to-day a portrait in enamels is a thing which demands too much labour and time to be in the vogue4 ,true it is that it was never extensively practised here2 but now it may be said1 as far as regards portraiture1 to be practically extinct4 ,,iv ,,early ,,portrait ,,painters ,,chapter ,,iv ,,early ,,portrait ,,painters ,horace ,walpole has asserted that this country has very rarely given birth to a genius in painting4 ,flanders and ,holland1 says he1 have sent us the greatest men that we can boast4 ,the following list of portrait painters who are reputed to have practised in ,england during the ,tudor and ,stuart periods contains1 it will be seen at once1 a very large proportion of foreign names3-- ,john ,bettes -- #aegj ,thomas ,bettes -- -- ,surmised to be the son or brother of ,john ,bettes4 ,pierre ,bordier 7,e7 -- -- temp4 ,charles ,i4 ,jacques ,bordier 7,e7 #afaf-afhd ,alexander ,brown -- -- temp4 ,charles ,,ii4 ,samuel ,butler #afab-afhj ,joost ,van ,cleef #aejj-aecf ,francis ,cleyn #afbe-afej ,john ,cleyn -- -- ,penelope ,cleyn -- -- temp4 ,charles ,,ii4 ,samuel ,cooper #afji-afgb ,alexander ,cooper -- -- flo4 #afej-affj4 ,david de ,grange -- -- ,lucas de ,heere #aecd-aehd ,nathaniel ,dixon#a -- -- ,william ,faithorne #afaf-afia ,thomas ,flatman #afcc-afhh ,sir ,balthazar ,gerbier #aeia-affg ,richard ,gibson #afae-afij ,edward ,gibson -- -- ,william ,gibson #afdd-agjb ,john ,greenhill #afdi-afgf ,john ,hayles -- #afgi ,contemporary of ,cooper4 ,nicholas ,hilliard #aedg-afai ,lawrence ,hilliard -- -- ,son of ,nicholas ,hilliard4 ,gerard ,lucas ,hornebonde #adih-aeed ,susannah ,hornebonde cir4 #aejc -- ,john ,hoskins -- #affd ,john ,hoskins1 junr4 787 -- -- flo4 #afhf 787 ,hans ,holbein the younger #adie-aedc ,george ,jamesone #aehf-afdd ,franois ,clouet or ,janet cir4 #aeaj-aega-d ,cornelius ,janssen #aeij-affe ,david ,loggan #afcj-afic ,sir ,antonio ,more #aebe-aeha ,gaspar ,netscher #afci-afhd ,isaac ,oliver #aeef-afag ,peter ,oliver #afja-afdg ,sir ,robert ,peake #aeib-affg ,luca ,penni cir4 #aejj -- ,jean ,petitot #afjg-afia ,jean ,petitot1 fils #afej -- ,cornelius ,polemberg #aehf-affj ,theodore ,russell #afad -- ,john ,shute or ,shoote -- #aefc ,matthew ,snelling -- -- flo4 #afdg4 ,gwillim ,streetes -- -- flo4 temp4 ,edward ,,vi4 ,levina ,teerlinck -- -- ,contemporary of ,holbein4 ,girolamo da ,trevigi #adig-aedd ,herbert ,tuer -- #afhj 787 ,sir ,a4 ,van ,dyck #aeii-afda ,frederigo ,zucchero #aedc-afji ,footnote #a3 ,so called in the ,royal ,acad4 ,winter ,exhibition ,catalogues4 ,as this book makes no claim to be regarded as a biographical dictionary1 and as ,i have given such particulars as ,i have been able to ascertain about the whole of the above named in my larger works1 ,i do not propose to deal with those mentioned in this list seriatim1 but ,i shall devote chapters to the most important of them1 such men as ,samuel ,cooper1 ,hilliard1 ,hoskins1 ,holbein1 the ,olivers1 and ,petitot4 ,illustration3 ,n4 ,,hilliard4 ,,nicholas ,,hilliard1 ,,by ,,himself4 7,from ,penshurst47 ,illustration3 ,,lady ,,mary ,,sidney4 7,harcourt family47 ,as to many of the others1 ,i give their names for the sake of being comprehensive but with reservations4 ,take1 for example1 ,lucas de ,heere4 ,it may be allowed that he worked in ,england1 and there is a very good oil painting by him in the ,palace of ,holyrood ,house1 of a lady of the ,tudor period1 miscalled ,mary1 ,queen of ,scots4 ,but ,i should not like to undertake to produce any evidence that he painted miniatures1 in spite of the fact of one of ,sir ,john ,b4 ,hatton and his mother being shown at ,kensington in #ahfe1 and attributed to him4 ,this work belongs to ,earl ,spencer4 ,it is dated #aebe1 and signed ,l4 ,now1 the date assigned to the birth of the artist is #aecd4 ,in other words1 this group1 which comes from a great and justly celebrated collection1 namely1 ,althorp1 and was shown under such auspices at that great exhibition of miniatures to which ,i have so often referred--,i say1 in spite of all this1 a picture is actually catalogued as being by an artist who did not come into existence till nine years after the date which the panel actually bears4 ,the connection of many of the others with miniature painting is decidedly slight1 yet1 as need hardly be said1 there are contemporary references to them which entitle them to a mention in this list4 ,thus ,lanzi has recorded that ,lucca ,penni and ,giralamo ,da ,trevigi were employed here4 ,then there was a lady miniature painter1 a daughter of ,master ,simon ,bennink of ,bruges1 who was employed by the ,court of ,england4 ,thus we know that in #aedg ,maistris ,levyn ,teerling1 ,paintrix1 was paid quarterly #aa1 and we read of her presenting ,queen ,mary with a small miniature of the ,trinity as a ,new ,year's gift4 ,again in #aeeh she presents her ,majesty ,elizabeth with the ,queen's picture finely painted on a card1 and received in return one casting bottell guilt1 weighing two and three-quarter ounces4 ,and in #aefa she presents the ,queen's personne and other personages in a box1 finely painted4 ,one guilt salt with a cover1 weighing five and a quarter ounces1 was the return made for this4 ,then there was the ,horneband1 ,hornebonde1 or ,hornebolt family1 of whom some interesting particulars will be found in ,archologia1 contributed by ,mr4 ,nichols4 ,the best known of these appears to be ,susannah1 whose father was in the service of ,king ,henry ,,viii4 at a monthly pay of #ccs4 #d;d4 ,her brother ,lucas1 was even better paid1 namely #ees4 #f;d4 per month1 a sum which was more1 it is interesting to note1 than ,hans ,holbein received4 ,in ,april1 #aeed1 the household books of ,henry show that the painter was duly paid his salary4 ,in the following month there occurs this entry1 ,item for ,lewke ,hornebonde1 ,paynter1 ,wages nil1 ,quia ,mortuus4 ,albert ,drer has told us of his meeting members of this family at ,antwerp in #aeba4 ,he was impressed with the ability of ,susannah1 who was then about eighteen years old1 and he records how he gave her a florin1 for she had made a coloured drawing of our ,saviour1 of which he says1 ,it is wonderful that a female should be able to do such a work4 ,illustration3 ,n4 ,,hilliard4 ,,henry ,,vii4 7,h4,m4 the ,king47 ,illustration3 ,,isaac ,,oliver4 ,,charles ,,the ,,first ,,when ,,prince ,,of ,,wales4 7,duke of ,rutland47 ,illustration3 ,,spenser4 7,lord ,fitzhardinge47 ,apropos of ,antwerp1 ,joost ,van ,cleef may be mentioned4 ,he is described as an industrious painter noted for the beautiful rendering of his hands1 and according to ,van ,mander was the best colourist of his time4 ,he came to this country with an introduction from his countryman ,sir ,antonio ,more1 and ,charles ,i4 purchased two or three of his pictures4 ,he was expecting to get great prices for his work1 but it seems some canvases by ,titian arrived in ,england at the same time as he did4 ,according to ,walpole this threw the ,antwerp painter into a jealous frenzy4 ,he abused ,more 7who was here at the time painting a portrait of ,queen ,mary by command of ,philip7 with whom he afterwards returned to ,spain1 telling him 7,more7 to go back to ,utrecht1 and keep his wife from the ,canons4 ,the unfortunate ,van ,cleef is said to have painted his own clothes and spoilt his own pictures1 and he behaved in such a way that it was necessary to confine him4 ,there is a portrait of ,henry ,,viii4 at ,hampton ,court ascribed by some to this painter1 and the mention of this monarch reminds me of ,john and ,thomas ,betts1 brothers as is supposed1 the former of whom painted ,edmund ,butts1 son of the ,king's physician4 ,this portrait1 in the black cap and furred gown of the period1 is to be seen in the ,national ,gallery1 and came from the collection of the late ,george ,richmond1 ,r4,a4 ,it is a vigorous1 soundly painted work1 recalling ,holbein in manner1 as may be seen1 ,i think1 by the illustration shown on p4 #gg1 though markedly inferior in subtlety of rendering of character to that great master4 ,it has been customary to term ,john ,betts a pupil of ,nicholas ,hilliard1 but this portrait is conclusive evidence on that point1 for it is dated in the clearest manner #aede4 ,now1 as ,hilliard was not born till two years later1 it is sufficiently obvious that ,john ,betts could not have been his pupil4 ,in the case of these early ,english artists1 ,john being supposed to have died in #aegj1 any information which can be given is of interest4 ,apart from particulars which may be gleaned from biographical dictionaries1 it is worth mentioning that at the ,winter ,exhibition of the ,royal ,academy in #ahgi the ,duke of ,buccleuch exhibited a miniature of ,catherine de ,balzac1 ,duchess of ,lennox 7wife of ,esm ,stuart1 created ,duke of ,lennox by ,james ,,vi471 and another of ,queen ,elizabeth1 both ascribed to ,john ,betts4 ,at the same exhibition there was a miniature of ,thomas ,egerton1 ,lord ,ellesmere 7,lord ,chancellor1 #afjc71 also lent by the ,duke of ,buccleuch1 and ,dr4 ,propert had a miniature of ,j4 ,digby1 ,earl of ,bristol1 which he ascribed to ,thomas ,betts4 ,thomas and ,john ,betts are mentioned in ,mere's ,wit's ,commonwealth1 published in ,london1 #aeih1 together with other artists whose names are hardly known and whose works are absolutely unknown4 ,the painters in question were mentioned in the introduction to the catalogue of the ,kensington ,loan ,collection of #ahfe1 but not a single example of their work was forthcoming4 ,confusion reigns as to their date1 and beyond the fact that ,vertue mentions a miniature by ,john ,betts of ,sir ,john ,godsalve1 who was controller of the ,mint to ,edward ,,vi41 and that in ,hall's ,chronicle of the year #aegf 7for which he engraved some vignettes7 he is termed a designer1 and said to have been a pupil of ,hilliard's1 but little is recorded of him4 ,illustration3 ,,isaacus ,,oliverus1 ,,anglus1 ,,pictor4 ,ad vivum ltos qui pingis imagine vultus1 ,,olivere oculos mirifice bi capiunt ,corpora qu formas jus to hc expressa ,colore4 ,multum est1 cum rebus convenit ipse color4 7,from a print in the ,british ,museum47 ,with the exception of ,holbein1 and perhaps ,petitot1 the most important name in connection with our subject1 in the list of foreigners which ,i have given at the commencement of this chapter1 is ,franois ,clouet or ,janet4 ,i shall devote a separate chapter to the latter4 ,not least amongst the treasures of the unique collection of miniatures in the ,royal ,library in ,windsor ,castle is a small one of ,mary ,queen of ,scots4 ,as ,i have described this fully in my remarks upon the ,royal collection1 ,i shall only now say that it was catalogued for ,king ,charles ,i4 as supposed to be done by ,jennet1 a ,french limner4 ,this name1 which is spelt nowadays ,janet1 is that of a family whose interesting history is given in some detail in ,mrs4 ,mark ,pattison's ,history of the ,renaissance4 ,it is not a little difficult to distinguish between the various members of this family1 the ,clouets1 as they were also called2 and we need not stop to deal with the story now1 as ,i have referred to the subject in my remarks on ,french art 7see ,chapter ,,xiv471 but there is no doubt that ,franois was ,court painter in the reigns of ,henry ,,ii4 and ,,iii41 of ,francis ,,ii4 and ,charles ,,ix4 of ,france1 and that his work belongs to the period with which we are now dealing4 ,judged by the standard of his own day1 this artist attained a high level of excellence1 but if we are to judge of the merits of his work rightly1 we must discriminate between his finished pictures and his studies for portraits4 ,now1 these latter1 some of which were hardly more than memoranda in black and red chalk1 were very fashionable in ,janet's day1 and there is no doubt immense numbers of them were produced4 ,great personages of the day owned portfolios of them1 which in a sense were the precursors of the photographic albums of our own time4 ,of ,janet's work ,i can only mention a few examples here4 ,amongst them is1 at ,chantilly1 a notable one of ,mary ,queen of ,scots1 as she was when nine years old1 giving1 it must be owned1 but slender promise of the physical beauty which afterwards she was allowed to possess by foes and friends alike4 ,equally interesting1 of greater technical merit1 and indeed of supreme importance in their way1 are the three superb portraits in the ,bibliothque ,nationale1 ,paris1 of ,mary ,queen of ,scots as ,dauphine1 of her first husband1 ,francis ,,ii41 and of herself in the white ,court mourning or deuil blanc which she wore as widow of the last named4#b ,did only these three works exist1 they would be quite sufficient to stamp ,janet as an admirable artist1 perhaps second only to ,holbein in his way and in his time3 ,i say second1 because nothing of ,janet's1 so far as ,i know1 has ever reached the high level1 the searching execution1 the power of draughtsmanship1 and the masterly style of ,hans ,holbein4 ,it is with that great artist1 who may be considered as the founder of miniature painting in this country1 that we have now to deal4 ,footnote #b3 ,these illustrations in facsimile1 and the size of the originals1 will be found figured in the author's work1 ,concerning the ,true ,portraiture of ,mary ,stuart4 ,illustration3 ,,venetia1 ,,lady ,,digby4 7,burdett-,coutts ,collection47 ,illustration3 ,i4 ,,oliver4 ,i4 ,,oliver1 ,,by ,,himself4 7,h4,m4 the ,king47 ,,holbein4 ,every tyro in art knows1 it may be said1 the eminence of ,hans ,holbein the ,younger as a painter1 and especially as a portrait painter4 ,he had other gifts as well1 to which we shall refer by and by1 but perhaps all my readers may not be aware that ,holbein must be regarded as the actual founder of the art of miniature painting in ,england4 ,as ,hans ,holbein came to ,london in #aebf it will be seen that the art of limning has1 in this country1 a genealogy1 so to speak1 of nearly four hundred years4 ,and during all that long period1 and amidst the great number of artists who worked therein1 there is no greater name to be found than that of the ,augsburg painter4 ,it is to ,erasmus that he owed his introduction to this country1 which he visited for the first time when he was about thirty-two years of age4 ,the painter's acquaintance with ,erasmus was made at ,basle1 where1 by the way1 in the ,salle des ,dessins1 one of the best portraits of ,holbein is to be found--a drawing in body colour on vellum1 beautifully finished1 which ,i here reproduce4 ,sir ,thomas ,more was a friend of ,erasmus1 and it was to the house of this distinguished man that ,holbein went on his arrival4 ,there he remained some time1 painting portraits of eminent men with whom he must have come in contact at ,chelsea1 amongst others--,archbishop ,warham1 ,sir ,henry ,guildford1 ,fisher1 ,bishop of ,rochester1 ,sir ,thomas ,more himself1 and two generations of the ,more family4 ,after a while he returned to ,switzerland1 and when he revisited this country in #aeca his friend had become ,lord ,chancellor4 ,we need not attempt to follow his career here in detail2 there is no doubt that he soon was taken into the service of ,henry ,,viii41 and1 becoming a favourite of that monarch1 was attached to the ,royal household1 and appears to have had apartments in the palace at ,whitehall4 ,in #aech he is spoken of as a sarvand of the ,kynges ,majesties named ,mr4 ,haunce4 ,at this time his salary was #cj per annum1 as to which the relative value of money1 then and now1 must not be forgotten4 ,in this year he was at ,brussels with ,sir ,philip ,hobby1 having a commission to paint the portrait of the young widowed ,duchess of ,milan4 ,it is a magnificent full-length portrait1 one of his finest works1 and may be seen in the ,national ,gallery to-day1 having been lent by the ,duke of ,norfolk4 ,this demure-looking lady may be credited with having a pretty wit of her own1 if the story told of her reception of an offer of marriage by ,henry ,,viii4 be true2 the answer she made to these overtures was that she must beg to be excused as she was possessed of but one neck4 ,the collection of pictures and drawings for pictures attributed to ,holbein1 and now preserved at ,windsor1 is well known and justly celebrated4 ,but it is with the miniatures which are supposed to be his work that we have most to do in this book4 ,it is somewhat remarkable that so great an authority as the late ,mr4 ,ralph ,wornum must be allowed to be should dispute the fact of ,holbein having ever painted any miniatures at all4 ,in his ,life and ,works of ,holbein he distinctly asserts that there is not a single miniature in existence which can be positively assigned to ,holbein4 ,illustration3 ,,peter ,,oliver4 ,,sir ,,kenelm ,,digby4 ,,venetia1 ,,lady ,,digby4 7,burdett-,coutts ,collection47 ,the learned late ,keeper of the ,national ,gallery would probably not have disputed that ,holbein did paint miniatures1 in the face of ,van ,mander's explicit statement that he ,holbein worked equally well in oil and in water-colours2 he painted also miniatures of a special excellence1 which last art he learned from one ,master ,lucas1 then in ,london1 whom1 however1 he soon surpassed4 ,then we have the testimony of ,sandrart1 who says3 ,holbein began practising the art when in the ,king's service1 having been incited thereto by the excellence of the works of ,master ,lucas4 ,there is no question1 either1 that ,van der ,doort regarded ,holbein as a limner2 in his catalogue of ,king ,charles ,i4's collection he speaks of two miniatures of ,henry ,,viii4 which he ascribes to ,holbein4 ,but ,mr4 ,wornum says of these that it is next to impossible to identify them now4 ,then there is the express statement of ,nicholas ,hilliard1 who declares himself as the pupil of ,holbein in the art of limning4 ,finally1 in the ,bodleian ,library is a manuscript by ,edward ,morgate1 dedicated to ,henry ,frederick1 ,earl of ,arundel1 dated ,july #h1 #afed1 entitled ,miniatura1 or the ,art of ,limning1 in which it is stated that the incomparable ,holbein1 in all his different and various methods of painting1 either in oyle1 distemper1 lymning1 or crayon1 was1 it seems1 so general an artist as never to imitate any man1 nor ever was worthily imitated by any4 ,but whilst it seems impossible to dispute that ,holbein certainly did paint miniatures1 the claims of individual specimens to be considered as his handiwork are1 of course1 open to question1 since none of his works of this nature are known to be signed4 ,it may1 therefore1 be worth while to state what little evidence can be gleaned about some of the best known pieces which are attributed to ,holbein4 ,there are at least six in the ,king's collection at ,windsor2 of these two are of ,henry ,,viii42 they were given to ,charles ,i4 by ,theophilus ,howard1 second ,earl of ,suffolk1 who died in #afdj4 ,i have described them at some length in subsequent remarks on the ,royal ,collection4 ,a third example is that of ,lady ,audley4 ,here1 again1 we have not direct testimony1 but apart from the technicalities of the execution and so forth1 we have the fact that she was the daughter of ,sir ,brian ,tuke1 ,treasurer of the ,chamber to ,henry ,,viii41 and that a portrait of her in red chalk is among the drawings by ,holbein at ,windsor1 the authenticity of which is1 ,i believe1 unquestioned4 ,the fourth to be mentioned in this connection is the portrait of ,queen ,catherine ,howard1 a replica of which exists in the ,duke of ,buccleuch's collection4 ,lastly1 ,i may mention two very interesting portraits of the sons of ,charles ,brandon1 ,duke of ,suffolk4 ,they were entered in ,van der ,doort's catalogue as being done by ,hans ,holbein4 ,given to the ,king by ,sir ,h4 ,vane4 ,illustration3 ,,isaac ,,oliver4 ,,frances ,,howard1 ,,countess ,,of ,,somerset4 ,illustration3 ,,after ,,sir ,a4 ,,van ,,dyck4 ,,peter ,,oliver4 ,illustration3 ,,peter ,,oliver4 ,,arabella ,,stuart4 7,capt4 ,j4 ,h4 ,edwards1 ,heathcote47 ,these ,i have also described in ,chapter ,,xii41 under ,the ,royal ,collection1 for opportunities of examining which ,i may express my obligation to the courtesy of the late librarian1 ,sir ,richard ,holmes4 ,the picture of a burgomaster 7given on p4 #he71 is one which has been assigned to ,holbein1 and it is also at ,windsor4 ,another of ,henry's wives1 whose portrait is ascribed to ,holbein1 and was1 we have reason to believe1 in the ,royal ,collection at one time1 is ,katherine of ,arragon4 ,walpole says of this portrait3 ,it was given to the ,duke of ,monmouth by ,charles ,,ii4 ,i bought it at the sale of ,lady ,isabella ,scott1 daughter of the ,duchess of ,monmouth4 ,when the famous ,colworth ,collection was dispersed1 a piece1 purporting to be this particular miniature1 painted on vellum1 was sold4 ,it is reproduced on p4 #ia4 ,its then owner1 ,mr4 ,magniac1 sent it to the ,south ,kensington ,exhibition of #ahfe1 believing it1 no doubt1 to be as described in the catalogue4 ,but had he referred to the ,anecdotes of ,painting he would have found that ,walpole's description of it could not apply to this particular work1 seeing that it was on a round1 and on a blue ground4 ,in the ,strawberry ,hill sale catalogue it is described as a very fine specimen of the master1 and was purchased by ,w4 ,blamire1 ,esq41 for the sum of #ej #hs4 ,a curious picture of a natural son of ,henry ,,viii41 by ,lady ,elizabeth ,talboys1 was ascribed to ,holbein in the ,strawberry ,hill ,collection4 ,it was sold to the ,duke of ,buckingham for seven and a half guineas1 and bears the following inscription3 ,henry ,duck off ,richmond1 tatis sue ,,xvo4 ,it is painted on an ace of hearts1 and was formerly in the collection of ,mr4 ,sackville ,bale1 who enjoyed the reputation of being a connoisseur of good judgment4 ,this young man1 it may be mentioned1 who appears to be painted in his nightdress and a most unbecoming nightcap1 did not live to be eighteen years of age4 ,there is an interesting portrait of ,holbein himself to be seen at ,hertford ,house4 ,as ,mr4 ,claude ,phillips1 the keeper of the ,wallace ,collection1 accepts this as ,holbein's work1 ,i shall not stop to discuss its authenticity1 but ,i may remark that there is a duplicate of this particular subject at ,montagu ,house4 ,the ,wallace example is in oils on card1 whilst the ,duke of ,buccleuch's piece is in gouache1 ,i believe1 on card4 ,the view of the face1 the position of the hands1 and all the details1 except the length of the hair1 appear identical4 ,as to the hair1 it is certainly longer in the ,wallace ,collection portrait4 ,this latter piece may be thus described4 ,head and bust of a middle-aged man1 wearing black dress and cap1 with a lace open collar1 holding a pencil in his right hand and looking at spectator1 with whiskers and a short beard1 dark in colour and rather sparse4 ,blue background1 circular1 about one and a half inches in diameter4 ,it is inscribed #aedc4 tatis su #de4 ,v ,,nicholas ,,hilliard ,illustration3 ,,john ,,hoskins4 ,,charles ,i4 7,h4,m4 the ,king47 ,illustration3 ,,isaac ,,oliver4 ,,duke ,,of ,,buckingham4 7,h4,m4 the ,king47 ,,chapter ,v ,,nicholas ,,hilliard ,as with other branches of art1 so with miniature painting1 we cannot show any native-born artists of eminence until we arrive at the middle of the sixteenth century1 when the series of ,english miniature painters1 properly so called1 may be said to begin with ,nicholas ,hilliard1 for we may disregard the one or two others whose names occur only in stray references4 ,nicholas ,hilliard1 born at ,exeter1 it is said1 in #aedg1 is the first ,english professed miniature portrait painter whose history can be given4 ,his father was ,richard ,hilliard1 ,high ,sheriff of his county in the year #aefj4 ,his mother was a daughter of ,john ,wall1 goldsmith1 of ,london1 a circumstance which there can be little doubt had much to do with ,nicholas ,hilliard being brought up to the business of jeweller and goldsmith1 occupations closely connected with limning in those days4 ,assuming the date usually given for his birth to be correct1 as to which ,i shall have something to say farther on1 he engraved the ,great ,seal when he was forty years of age4 ,this means that his reputation was already made--and indeed he had been appointed goldsmith1 carver1 and portrait painter to ,queen ,elizabeth1 to make pictures of her body and person in small compass in limning only4 ,according to ,pilkington1 he owed his introduction to the ,virgin ,queen to the interest of ,sir ,walter ,raleigh1 but ,i have not met with any corroboration of this statement4 ,it is also commonly said that ,hilliard was enjoined to paint her ,majesty without shadows4 ,from what we know of the vanity of ,elizabeth this is not improbable1 though it is1 to my mind1 by no means certain2 and there is another reason for the flatness of treatment which is undoubtedly characteristic of his work1 which ,i shall deal with in considering his method of painting4 ,james ,i4 granted him a patent to this effect3 ,whereas our well-beloved servant1 ,nicholas ,hilliard1 gentleman1 our principal drawer of small portraits1 and embosser of our medals in gold1 in respect of his extraordinary skill in drawing1 graving1 and imprinting1 c41 we have granted unto him our special licence for twelve years1 to invent1 make1 grave and imprint any pictures of our image1 of our ,royal ,family1 with power to take a constable and search for any pictures1 plates1 or works1 printed1 sold1 or set up4 ,there is not much to be said about the career of ,hilliard1 and this work is not greatly concerned with biographical details4 ,it must1 however1 be observed that ,hilliard had an only son1 ,lawrence1 who followed his father's profession1 and enjoyed the patent granted by ,king ,james1 until its expiration4 ,illustration3 ,s4 ,,cooper4 7,duke of ,devonshire47 ,,oliver ,,cromwell4 7,duke of ,sutherland47 ,there is a warrant of the ,council1 dated #afbd1 extant1 ordering the payment of #db to ,lawrence ,hilliard for five pictures by him drawn4 ,probably this privilege was a source of emolument to the ,hilliard family 7by the way1 ,lawrence had several children71 and gave them control over the engravers and print-sellers of the period to whom licences were granted4 ,simon de ,passe was employed by them in engraving small plates of the heads of the ,royal ,family4 ,nicholas ,hilliard died on the #fth of ,january1 #afai1 and was buried in ,st4 ,martin's in the ,fields4 ,he left to his sister1 ,ann ,avery1 #bj out of the #cj due to him as his pension4 ,this1 it will be remembered1 is the same amount as ,holbein's salary4 ,works by ,nicholas ,hilliard are by no means rare4 ,we have just seen that he lived to over seventy years of age1 and was probably pretty fully employed during the greater part of his career1 as is shown by portraits of ,james ,i4 and his consort1 ,anne of ,denmark1 of which several exist4 ,fourteen examples of his work were shown at the ,winter ,exhibition of the ,royal ,academy in #ahgi1 of which four came from the ,royal ,library at ,windsor4 ,a still larger collection was exhibited at the ,loan ,collection at ,kensington in #ahfe1 and ,i have1 at one time or another1 examined a great many examples personally4 ,it may be said of all these that they are characterised by uniformity of style1 treatment1 and quality4 ,we have ,hilliard's own statement as to his artistic training3 ,holbein's manner of limning ,i have ever imitated1 he says1 and hold it for the best4 ,horace ,walpole has remarked concerning this manner of limning3 ,although he copied the neatness of his model 7,holbein71 he was far from attaining that nature and force which that great master impressed on his most minute works4 ,hilliard1 he continues1 arrived at no strength of colouring2 his faces are pale and void of any variety of tints1 the features1 jewels1 and ornaments expressed by lines as slender as a hair4 ,the exact dress of the times he curiously delineated1 but he seldom attempted beyond the head1 yet his performances were greatly valued4 ,the paleness of the faces in ,hilliard's work1 as it exists to-day1 is true enough1 and would seem to justify the criticism of the owner of ,strawberry ,hill1 and his statement that the painter arrived at no strength of colouring1 but before we accept the conclusion that his portraits always possessed the bloodless appearance they now present1 we may ask whether it is by any means certain that they were originally marked by this defect4 ,it must be remembered that they were painted more than three hundred years ago1 which is ample time for the flesh tints to have faded right out4 ,we know how the carnations have flown in numberless examples of comparatively recent work1 the ghastly paleness of which robs them of all beauty4 ,the more perfect condition of the jewels and ornaments1 with which the figures in ,hilliard's pictures are so profusely adorned1 is not conclusive1 owing to the opaque nature of the colours and the quantity of gold he was wont to use4 ,he commonly painted on card or vellum1 and employed1 it is said1 a brush composed of hairs from a squirrel's tail4 ,his works are generally signed ,n4 ,h41 and frequently have a motto and date written round the edge in ,latin and abbreviated4 ,illustration3 ,s4 ,,cooper4 ,,george ,,monck1 ,,duke ,,of ,,albemarle4 7,h4,m4 the ,king47 ,what is known as quality in works of art is a very elusive factor in their charm1 and it is proportionately difficult to express in words4 ,indeed1 ,i might go farther1 and say that a large proportion of people who look upon works of art never realise what it means4 ,hence it is always difficult to assign with absolute fairness and accuracy the rank of a given artist4 ,there are many things to be taken into consideration1 but ,i think it may be safely said of ,hilliard that he stands well in the front of the second row of our native miniature painters4 ,he is certainly inferior in finish and beauty to the ,olivers1 and his heads are even more deficient in the wonderful rendering of character and the masterly execution of ,samuel ,cooper1 but his faces are well drawn1 and are differentiated--far more so1 for instance1 than are the insipidities of ,kneller and ,lely and the early ,georgian artists4 ,we know that he won the admiration of his contemporaries1 both strangers and fellow-countrymen4 ,in ,heydock's translation of ,lomazzo on ,painting1 published in #aeih1 we are told that limning was much used in former times in church books1 as also in drawing by life in small models of late years by some of our countrymen1 as ,shoote1 ,betts1 c42 but brought to the rare perfection we now see by the most ingenious1 painful1 and skilful master1 ,nicholas ,hilliard4 ,the ornate jewellery which he appears to have painted with such care was1 of course1 the fashion of the time1 as were the elaborate ruffs1 both of which are well shown in the accompanying portrait of ,lady ,mary ,sidney1 ,countess of ,pembroke--an extremely interesting miniature1 by the way1 which came from ,penshurst4 ,this lady was the daughter of ,sir ,henry ,sidney1 and married ,henry1 second ,earl of ,pembroke4 ,it was to her that ,sir ,philip ,sidney dedicated his ,arcadia4 ,she died in her ,house at ,aldersgate ,street1 and was buried in ,salisbury ,cathedral4 ,she was the subject of the well-known epitaph by ,ben ,jonson3-- ,underneath this sable hearse ,lies the subject of all verse1 ,sidney's sister1 ,pembroke's mother4 ,death1 ere thou hast slain another1 ,fair and wise and good as she1 ,time shall throw a dart at thee4 ,penshurst ,place1 the charming old home of the ,sidneys1 possesses1 or did possess1 the portrait of the painter himself in his thirtieth year4 ,it is probably also the background in the elaborate and beautiful miniature by ,isaac ,oliver1 in the ,royal ,collection1 which adorns this volume 7see p4 #bie74 ,from ,penshurst1 too1 came the profile of ,elizabeth given in this book4 ,i refer to it here because it illustrates so perfectly what ,walpole has said about portraits of ,elizabeth1 who1 as we have seen1 was certainly painted by ,hilliard1 and it is an apt criticism on the miniature painting of the time4 ,illustration3 ,s4 ,,cooper4 ,,duchess ,,of ,,cleveland4 7,countess of ,caledon47 ,illustration3 ,o4 ,,cromwell',s ,,mother4 ,illustration3 ,s4 ,,cooper4 ,,lady ,,leigh4 7,sackville ,bale ,collection47 ,speaking of the numerous portraits of ,elizabeth which exist1 he says there is not a single one to be called beautiful4 ,they are totally composed of hands and necklaces4 ,a pale ,roman nose1 a head of hair loaded with crowns and powdered with diamonds1 a vast ruff1 a vaster farthingale1 and a bushel of pearls1 are the features by which every one knows them at once4 ,in this connection it may be observed there is another portrait of ,queen ,elizabeth1 spoken of by ,walpole as one of ,hilliard's most capital performances1 namely a whole length of her in robes1 sitting on her throne4 ,this was in ,king ,charles ,i4's ,collection1 and included in the catalogue by ,van der ,doort1 to which frequent reference has been made1 but1 so far as ,i am aware1 its whereabouts is not now known4 ,fourteen ,hilliards are specified in the above-named catalogue1 including a view of the ,spanish ,armada4 ,four of these1 portraits1 and copies of older pictures1 are now at ,windsor1 and were once attached to a gold and enamelled jewel1 the work on which1 it is surmised1 was probably also ,hilliard's1 he being1 as we have seen1 the ,court goldsmith2 the portraits are those of ,henry ,,vii41 ,henry ,,viii41 ,jane ,seymour1 and ,edward ,,vi4 ,the latter ,van der ,doort describes as meanly done1 upon a round card4 ,this remarkable example of goldsmith's work has on one side the roses of ,york and ,lancaster and on the other a representation of the ,battle of ,bosworth ,field4 ,there are jewelled badges upon the dress and cap of ,henry ,,vii41 and the miniature is dated #aeji1 the year of his death4 ,in ,horace ,walpole's copy of ,van der ,doort's catalogue1 it is noted3 ,the above jewel and pictures were done by old ,hilliard1 and given to the ,king by young ,hilliard1 by the deceased ,earl of ,pembroke's means4 ,it is possible1 by means of the miniatures of ,nicholas ,hilliard1 to realise the appearance of many of the personages of ,tudor times1 and of ,elizabeth's ,court in particular4 ,thus1 in the ,duke of ,buccleuch's ,collection is a portrait1 on vellum1 of ,edward ,seymour1 ,duke of ,somerset2 he was the brother of ,jane ,seymour1 uncle of ,edward ,,vi41 and was beheaded on ,tower ,hill1 #aeeb4 ,also in the ,buccleuch ,collection is one of the most beautiful of this artist's works1 namely1 a portrait of ,alicia ,brandon1 daughter of ,john ,brandon1 ,chamberlain of the ,city of ,london4 ,she was the wife of ,hilliard1 and was painted by him in her twenty-second year1 #aegh4 ,the picture is charming from the vivacity of the features and its delicate execution4 ,it is circular in form1 signed ,n4 ,h4 7connected71 and is preserved in a rose-turned case of logwood with an ivory circular rim4 ,it was shown in the ,royal ,academy ,winter ,exhibition in #ahgi4 ,in the ,colworth ,collection there was formerly a portrait of ,darnley1 ,earl of ,lennox1 thus inscribed3 ,comes linoz ano ,dni #aefj tatis ,su #ah4 ,i give this description as it is a typical instance of the abbreviations one commonly finds on ,hilliard's miniatures4 ,illustration3 ,,alexander ,,cooper4 ,,sir ,,john ,,king4 7,h4,m4 the ,king47 ,illustration3 ,s4 ,,cooper4 ,,portrait ,,of ,,himself4 7,dyce ,collection47 ,mrs4 ,naylor ,leyland owns a portrait of ,mary ,stuart1 ,queen of ,scots1 which is ascribed to ,hilliard1 and has a circumstantial history4 ,it is said to have been given by the unfortunate ,queen to one of her ,maids of ,honour on her marriage1 from whom it descended to her grandson1 the second and last ,earl of ,middleton1 and thence to the present possessor4 ,of course1 it is quite possible that this is the work of ,hilliard1 although most improbable that the painter ever saw her4 ,in the case of another unfortunate lady of the period1 namely1 ,arabella ,stuart1 the case is different1 and he may quite well have had access to this ill-fated victim of the fears of ,james ,i4 ,walpole possessed two of her1 one when young1 which may be that owned by the ,duke of ,buccleuch1 representing her as a girl with a baby face4 ,james ,i4 and his wife were painted by him1 as we have already mentioned1 and one portrait of the ,scottish ,solomon was sold at ,christie's for a very large sum4 ,of the courtiers of ,elizabeth we have a number of well-known personages1 ,essex and ,dudley1 for example2 of ,drake when forty-two1 in ,lord ,derby's ,collection2 and a portrait of ,george ,clifford1 ,earl of ,cumberland1 ,elizabeth's champion1 dressed as for a tournament1 in an enormous flapped hat1 with a glove1 the emblem of his office1 fixed on the front of it4 ,this picture is well known from the engraving by ,r4 ,white4 ,at ,kensington1 in #ahfe1 might have been seen ,nicholas ,harbon1 ,ambassador to ,constantinople2 ,mrs4 ,holland1 one of ,elizabeth's ,maids of ,honour2 ,lord ,keeper ,coventry2 ,lady ,hunsdon2 and a portrait of the poet ,spenser1 which last is the property of ,lord ,fitzhardinge1 and here shown4 ,,vi ,,isaac ,,and ,,peter ,,oliver1 ,,and ,,john ,,hoskins ,,chapter ,,vi ,,isaac ,,and ,,peter ,,oliver1 ,,and ,,john ,,hoskins ,those of my readers who are able to agree with the estimate already advanced in this work as to the unique position held by ,samuel ,cooper in the ranks of ,british miniature painters1 will be able to gauge the position which may be assigned to ,isaac ,oliver when they read ,walpole's opinion of his powers4 ,he expresses it in the following terms3 ,we have no one1 says he1 to put in competition with ,isaac ,oliver1 except it be our own ,cooper4 ,this is tantamount to saying that this painter1 ,oliver1 was one of the greatest we have ever had1 in his own walk of art4 ,it must be remembered that there were two ,olivers--,isaac the father1 and ,peter1 his eldest son and pupil4 ,walpole could find no account of the origin of the family1 but he notes that in the elder painter's pocket-book was a mixture of ,english and ,french1 a point not without significance4 ,the connoisseur of ,strawberry ,hill1 whose opinions on art generally1 and on his own magnificent collection in particular1 are so interesting1 and which we have so often quoted1 states that the excellence of the elder ,oliver was such that we may challenge any nation to show a greater master2 and ,peacham states that to ,hilliard1 in conjunction with ,zucchero1 has been given the credit of having instructed a limner inferior to none in ,christendome for the countenance in small4 ,the elder ,oliver was born in #aeee or #aeef4 ,he died in his house at ,blackfriars in #afag1 the date of ,raleigh's execution1 and just a year after the death of ,shakespeare4 ,that he was at work till the close of his life is clear from the inscription upon one of the finest examples of his powers1 namely1 the portrait of the ,earl of ,dorset1 formerly in the possession of ,mr4 ,c4 ,sackville ,bale1 sold at ,christie's in #ahhj for #gej1 and now one of the most valuable miniatures in the collection ,mr4 ,john ,jones bequeathed to the nation1 which is housed in the ,victoria and ,albert ,museum4 ,it is a full length1 nearly ten inches high1 and thus signed1 ,isaac ,olliuierus fecit #afaf4 ,as in the case of other artists mentioned in this book1 ,i do not think it necessary to dwell much upon the facts of their careers2 what ,i think more important1 and at least as interesting1 is to give some idea of their relative ability1 of the character of their work1 and a more or less critical account of some accessible examples to be found in this country4 ,that1 amplified to an extent not possible in this volume1 is what ,i set before myself in my preceding works upon ,miniature ,painters1 and in practice ,i have not found any better way of treating the subject4 ,so1 then1 we may disregard the biographical details of ,oliver's life1 of which1 ,i take it1 there are indeed very few to be gleaned4 ,we have settled upon excellent authority his rank and qualifications as a miniature painter1 and seen that he ranks as second only to the incomparable ,samuel ,cooper4 ,let us now turn to some of the principal known works of this admirable artist which have survived4 ,probably the largest number is to be found in the ,duke of ,buccleuch's magnificent ,collection at ,montagu ,house2 but we may refer first of all to those in the ,royal ,library at ,windsor1 and begin with the celebrated full length of ,sir ,philip ,sidney sitting under a tree in an arcaded garden1 which some think conveys an allusion to the ,arcadia4 ,it is shown on p4 #bie1 and is reproduced on the exact scale of the original4 ,this1 with so many other of the finest of the old miniatures1 was formerly in the ,strawberry ,hill ,collection4 ,it was sold at ,west's sale for the paltry sum of #af #es4 ,we have evidence of four miniatures being painted for ,charles ,i4 when ,duke of ,york1 as is shown by an entry of payment by warrant in the office books of the ,chambers1 dated ,lincoln1 #afag3 ,to ,isaace ,oliver for four several pictures drawn for the ,prince ,his ,highness1 ,forty pounds4 ,a profile of ,anne of ,denmark1 now at ,windsor1 may be one of these1 she being the mother of ,charles ,i42 as may also be the portrait of ,henry1 ,prince of ,wales1 his brother1 which1 according to ,sir ,richard ,holmes1 is the finest extant of that ,prince4 ,it is described in ,charles ,i4's catalogue as follows3 ,number #ag1 done upon the right light1 the biggest limned picture which was made of ,prince ,henry1 being limned in the set lace ruff and gilded armour and a landskip wherein are some soldiers and tents1 in a square frame1 with a sheeting glass over it1 done by ,isaace ,oliver1 five and a quarter inches by four4 ,the interesting portrait of ,george ,villiers1 ,duke of ,buckingham1 who was stabbed by ,felton at ,portsmouth in #afbh1 is probably a late example of the master1 and is in his ,majesty's ,collection4 ,it is figured on p4 #abf1 as is also the interesting miniature of the artist himself in a tall felt hat 7see p4 #aaa71 which we may conclude was the height of fashion of the period1 there being one extremely like it in the ,national ,gallery1 worn by ,james ,i4 ,the miniature here shown is also in the ,king's ,collection4 ,amongst the miniatures by ,oliver which are best known are those of ,sir ,kenelm ,digby and his family1 which were shown at ,messrs4 ,dickinson's ,loan ,exhibition of #ahhj4 ,comparisons are odious1 but it must be admitted that those belonging to the ,burdett-,coutts ,collection are in finer condition than those preserved at the home of the ,digbys1 namely ,sherborne ,castle1 ,dorset1 a picturesque ,jacobean mansion given by ,james ,i4 to ,sir ,walter ,raleigh4 ,illustration3 ,,petitot4 ,,by ,,himself4 ,illustration3 ,,mlle4 ,,fontanges4 ,illustration3 ,,henriette ,d',,orleans4 7,burdett-,coutts ,collection47 ,these interesting portraits were once at ,strawberry ,hill1 where they hung in the blue breakfast room4 ,the way they came into the possession of ,horace ,walpole is worth telling4 ,it aptly shows how easily treasures of this kind may be forgotten and lost4 ,writing about ,peter ,oliver's habit of making duplicates of his works1 ,walpole says3-- ,since this work was first published a valuable treasure of the works of this master1 and of his father ,isaac1 was discovered in an old house in ,wales1 which belonged to a descendant of ,sir ,kenelm ,digby 7,mr4 ,watkin ,williams74 ,the latest are dated #afcc1 but being closed in ivory and ebony cases1 and the whole collection locked up in a wainscot box1 they are as perfectly preserved as if newly painted4 ,they all represent ,sir ,kenelm and persons related to or connected with him4 ,there are three portraits of him1 six of his beloved wife at different ages1 and three triplicates of his mistress1 all three by ,isaac ,oliver1 as is ,lady ,digby's mother1 which ,i have mentioned before4 ,but the capital work is a large miniature copied from ,van ,dyck of ,sir ,kenelm1 his wife1 and two sons1 the most beautiful piece of the size that ,i believe exists 7see p4 #bhi74 ,there is a duplicate of ,sir ,kenelm and ,lady ,digby from the same picture1 and though of not half the volume1 still more highly finished4 ,this last piece is set in gold1 richly inlaid with flowers in enamel1 and shuts like a book4 ,all these1 with several others1 ,i purchased at a great price1 but they are not to be matched4 ,it is noteworthy that nearly all the portraits of ,sir ,kenelm and his wife ascribed to ,isaac ,oliver must be by ,peter1 as ,isaac died when the originals were boy and girl4 ,sir ,kenelm ,digby was born in #afjc4 ,isaac ,oliver was buried in ,october1 #afag4 ,one of the portraits is dated #afbg4 ,this discrepancy in ,walpole's account1 wherein1 as we have seen above1 he speaks of ,sir ,kenelm's mistress as being painted by the elder ,oliver1 may be owing to his misreading the monogram4 ,the large copy after ,van ,dyck of the family group is dated #afce4 ,amongst the ,digby portraits at ,sherborne ,castle is that remarkable one of ,venetia ,lady ,digby lying dead in her bed4 ,this is ascribed to ,peter ,oliver4 ,walpole had six portraits of her at different ages1 and ,lord ,clarendon speaks of her as a lady of extraordinary beauty and of as extraordinary fame4 ,nor was her husband less remarkable4 ,i have somewhere seen him described as the bravest gentleman and the biggest liar of his time4 ,be that as it may1 he was certainly of handsome appearance1 extraordinary strength1 and distinguished as a soldier1 scholar1 and courtier4 ,his father was ,sir ,everard ,digby1 who was executed for his share in the ,gunpowder ,plot4 ,sir ,kenelm renounced the faith of his father1 and was entered at ,gloucester ,hall1 ,oxford4 ,he was on the ,continent at an early age1 and1 returning in #afbc1 was knighted by ,james ,i4 ,five years later we hear of him commanding a small squadron in the ,mediterranean4 ,during the ,civil ,war he had the prudence to retire to ,france4 ,returning to ,england at the ,restoration1 he lived at his house in ,covent ,garden till the year of his death1 namely #affe4 ,his wife1 ,venetia ,anastasia1 was the youngest daughter of ,sir ,edward ,stanley1 and was born at ,tong ,castle1 in ,shropshire1 in #afjj4 ,they had two sons--,kenelm1 killed during the ,civil ,war in a skirmish at ,st4 ,neots2 and ,john1 who was disinherited by his father1 but ultimately succeeded to a portion of the property4 ,judging from the lovely group after ,van ,dyck which1 by the courtesy of the late lamented ,baroness ,burdett-,coutts1 ,i am able to show of this interesting family1 these two sons would seem to have inherited the physical beauty of their parents4 ,another group not less remarkable1 and in a sense more interesting in this connection1 inasmuch as it is an original work of the artist himself1 and not a copy from any other1 is that of the three brothers1 ,anthony ,maria1 ,john1 and ,william ,browne4 ,this noble piece1 which measures ten inches by nine1 is now at ,burleigh1 the owner of which historic house1 the ,marquess of ,exeter1 is descended from the eldest of these young men4 ,the work was known to ,walpole1 and was at ,cowdray in his time4 ,he thus describes it3 ,at ,lord ,montague's at ,cowdray is an invaluable work of ,isaac ,oliver's4 ,it represents three brothers of that lord's family1 whole lengths in black4 ,these young gentlemen resemble each other remarkably1 a peculiarity observable in the picture1 the motto on which is figur conformis affectus4 ,the black dresses are relieved by gold belts and lace collars1 and contrasted by the silver-laced doublet of another young man1 presumably a page1 who is entering the room4 ,this beautiful group is in perfect preservation1 of absolutely superlative quality1 and1 as we have seen1 upon an important scale4 ,it possesses also the interest of having1 with three other pictures1 escaped the disastrous fire at ,cowdray in #agic4 ,this fatality is said to have marked the end of the race of the ,lords ,montague1 and the last scion of the house lost his life over the ,falls of ,schaffhausen just at the time the flames destroyed the old family mansion4 ,it is said that messengers--one bearing the news of the death of the last ,lord ,montague by water and the other of the destruction of the home of the race by fire--met one another in ,paris4 ,earl ,spencer possesses a very fine copy of this work in oils1 painted by ,sherwin in #agha4 ,any readers who may desire further genealogical details of the brothers represented will find them in my book on ,miniature ,painters1 ,british and ,foreign1 pp4 #ci and #dj4 ,i am not aware of ,isaac ,oliver holding any appointment at ,court1 but of courtiers and of the aristocracy of his day he must have painted a great number4 ,this was made clear at the exhibition of the ,burlington ,fine ,arts ,club in #ahhi1 when some five and twenty or thirty more or less well-authenticated works by ,isaac ,oliver were shown1 besides a number by ,peter ,oliver4 ,that masterpiece of ,oliver's1 the ,earl of ,dorset1 now in the ,jones ,collection1 at ,kensington1 has already been described1 and reference has been made to the portrait of ,buckingham belonging to the ,king4 ,there was another of ,steenie1 by ,isaac ,oliver1 in the ,propert ,collection4 ,mr4 ,jefferey ,whitehead owns1 or did own1 a couple of portraits of ,sir ,francis ,drake4 ,lord ,derby possesses one of the ill-fated ,elizabeth of ,bohemia4 ,robert ,devereux1 ,earl of ,essex1 appears to have been painted oftener1 almost1 than any one of his time4 ,thus1 the ,duke of ,devonshire possesses two ,olivers of him1 the ,king another1 and there was one in the ,propert ,collection also assigned to him4 ,the wicked ,countess of ,essex1 ,frances ,howard1 afterwards ,countess of ,somerset1 condemned to death for her share in the murder of ,sir ,thomas ,overbury1 was also painted by ,oliver4 ,the ,earl of ,derby and ,major-,general ,sotheby possess miniatures of her4 ,illustration3 ,,petitot4 ,,louis ,,xiv4 ,illustration3 ,,cardinal ,,mazarin4 7,earl of ,carlisle47 ,illustration3 ,,james ,,ii4 7,burdett-,coutts ,collection47 ,illustration3 ,,charles ,i4 7,burdett-,coutts ,collection47 ,illustration3 ,,cardinal ,,richelieu4 ,there is a passing reference to ,isaac ,oliver in the very interesting autobiography of ,lord ,herbert1 of ,cherbury4 ,that remarkable man tells a story of a ,lady1 wife to ,sir ,john ,ayres1 knight1 who1 finding some means to get a copy of my picture from ,larkin1 gave it to ,mr4 ,isaac ,oliver1 the ,painter in ,blackfriars1 and desired him to draw it in little1 after his manner1 which being done1 she caused it to be set in gold and enamelled1 and so wore it about her neck so low that she had it under her breasts4 ,lord ,herbert adds that he caught ,lady ,ayres lying upon her bed contemplating the miniature6 ,the temptation to stop and gossip about some of these people1 as1 for instance1 the lady to whom reference has just been made1 is almost irresistible2 in truth it may be said that almost all the people painted by ,oliver are remarkable either for their virtues1 their vices1 or their misfortunes2 in this latter category must be placed the unfortunate ,arabella ,stuart1 of whom ,major-,general ,sotheby and ,mr4 ,j4 ,k4 ,d4 ,wingfield ,digby possess examples1 the latter owning two4 ,the number of portraits existing of this lady1 of various kinds1 is somewhat remarkable1 and ,i am led to surmise that it may be accounted for by the sympathy aroused by the fate of this unhappy creature4 ,i may mention1 in support of this conjecture1 the existence of a miniature that belonged to a collection which may be described as the ,stuart ,collection1 inasmuch as it once belonged to ,james ,,ii41 and has a circumstantial history which we must not stop to go into here1 further than to say that these miniatures are all supposed to possess historical authenticity1 and are works of high quality4 ,amongst them is one of ,lady ,arabella ,stuart1 ascribed to ,peter ,oliver4 ,now1 the ill-fated victim of the political jealousy of ,james ,i4 ended her days in the ,tower in #afae1 and ,peter ,oliver1 whose work it is supposed to have been1 was not born till #afja1 or as some say #afjd2 hence it is almost impossible that he could or did paint it from life4 ,the fact that he painted her at all1 a political prisoner1 whose reason had given way before the artist was in his teens1 points to an interest in her fate1 whether felt by him or by others1 such as led1 as ,i have said1 to a multiplication of her portraits4 ,catherine ,cary1 ,countess of ,nottingham1 whose portrait is in the ,duke of ,buccleuch's ,collection1 and ,lady ,teresa ,shirley are both ladies with stories which belong to the byways of history4 ,before leaving ,isaac ,oliver1 there is one other kind of work of which he did a good deal1 and to which ,i must refer1 namely1 the copying in miniature of paintings by the old masters1 of which--but this is by the way--,peter ,oliver appears to have done still more4 ,isaac did not live to finish all his work of this nature1 as is shown by an entry in the catalogue of ,charles ,i4 of a great limned piece of the ,burial of ,christ1 which was invented by ,isaac ,oliver1 and was left unfinished at his decease1 and now1 by ,his ,majesty's appointment finished by his son ,peter ,oliver4 ,peter ,oliver erected a monument to his father in the ,church of ,st4 ,anne's1 ,blackfriars2 it was a bust1 and both the monument and the church perished in the ,great ,fire of #afff4 ,vertue recalls having seen a model of the bust2 and with a copy of the entry occurring in the register of this church ,i may conclude my remarks on ,isaac ,oliver3 ,isaack ,oliver buried #bnd ,october #afag4 ,mr4 ,peter ,oliver buried ,september #bb #afdg4 ,,peter ,,oliver ,peter ,oliver was the eldest son of his father1 and was born1 as we have before observed1 at the very opening of the seventeenth century4 ,there is a portrait of him by ,hanneman1 a ,dutch painter who came to this country soon after ,van ,dyck1 at ,hampton ,court1 which1 if we may trust it1 shows him to have been a man with dark brown hair and dark1 dreary eyes4 ,as he did not live to be fifty years of age1 dying two years before the execution of ,charles ,i41 he must have worked hard4 ,the ,van der ,doort catalogue1 of which frequent mention has been made1 includes thirteen of the paintings once in the possession of ,charles1 which were copied in water colours by ,peter ,oliver1 as were portraits of the ,stuart family4 ,he married1 and had children1 and ,vertue tells a story1 upon the authority of ,russell the painter1 who was connected with the ,olivers1 which shows that ,peter ,oliver's work for and in connection with the ,court was well known to ,charles ,,ii4 ,we do not hear much of the ,merry ,monarch as a patron of art1 nor as a model of filial affection1 but some motive or other took him incognito1 we are told1 to ,isleworth on a visit to the widow of ,peter ,oliver to make inquiries about miniatures which she was supposed to possess4 ,the ,king went very privately 444 to see them1 the widow showed several finished and unfinished2 asked if she would sell them1 she said she had a mind the ,king should see them first1 and if he did not purchase them1 she would think of disposing of them2 the ,king discovered himself1 on which she produced some more pictures which she seldom showed4 ,the ,king desired her to set her price2 she said she did not care to make a price with ,his ,majesty1 she would leave it to him1 but promised to look over her husband's books1 and to let him know what prices his father1 the late ,king1 had paid4 ,the ,king took away what he liked1 and sent ,rogers to ,mrs4 ,oliver with the option of #a1jjj1 or an annuity of #cjj for life1 and she chose the latter4 ,some years afterwards1 the ,king's mistresses having begged all or most of these pictures1 ,mrs4 ,oliver said1 on hearing it1 that if she had thought that the ,king would have given them to such unworthy persons1 he never should have had them4 ,this reached the ,court1 the poor woman's salary was stopped1 and she never received it afterwards4 ,apropos of the return of the many treasures which we know were dispersed at the close of the ,civil ,war1 ,i may mention an instance of a piece which was formerly in the ,royal ,collection1 and has gone back to ,windsor of recent times4 ,it is an interesting work by ,peter ,oliver1 dated #afbh1 and is a copy of ,raphael's ,st4 ,george1 about half the size of the original1 which latter1 by the way1 was presented to ,henry ,,vii4 by the ,duke of ,urbino1 in return for the ,order of the ,garter4 ,the copy found its way back to the ,royal ,collection in #ahhc1 having been purchased at the sale at ,christie's of the ,hamilton ,palace treasures in that year4 ,illustration3 ,,petitot ,,le ,,vieux4 7,earl ,dartrey47 ,illustration3 ,,petitot4 7,from a print in the ,british ,museum47 ,illustration3 ,,charles ,,ii4 7,burdett-,coutts ,collection47 ,sir ,richard ,holmes1 to whom ,i am indebted for the information1 surmises that the copy may have been given by ,charles to the ,marquess of ,hamilton4 ,the original painting1 one regrets to say1 was sold at the ,rebellion2 it is now the property of the ,russian ,crown1 and hangs in the ,hermitage at ,st4 ,petersburg4 ,there is an interesting entry in ,john ,evelyn's diary just after the ,restoration1 which runs as follows3 ,i went with some of my relations to the ,court1 to show them ,his ,majesty's cabinet and closet of varieties1 the rare miniatures of ,peter ,oliver after ,raphael1 ,titian1 and other masters1 which ,i infinitely esteem4 ,judging from the amount of work in the shape of copies of the old masters1 which we know to have been executed by ,peter ,oliver1 and1 further1 the comparatively small number of portraits by him one meets with1 it would seem probable that he did less in the way of portraiture than his father4 ,thus at the ,burlington ,fine ,arts ,club exhibition works assigned to ,isaac ,oliver were at least three times as numerous as those assigned to ,peter ,oliver4 ,i may mention here that besides the ,digbys1 the younger artist was also credited in this collection with having painted the ,countess of ,nottingham and the ,earls of ,somerset and ,southampton1 ,lady ,arabella ,stuart1 and others4 ,where there are two artists of the same name working at the same period1 as in the case of the ,olivers1 mistakes easily occur1 and we have seen an instance of it in the case of ,walpole's error with regard to the ,digby family1 as shown on a preceding page4 ,i may therefore call collectors' particular attention1 in distinguishing the works of these great limners1 to the fact that the elder ,oliver signed his works with a monogram ,f1 whilst the younger used the initials ,p4 ,o4 connected4 ,,john ,,hoskins ,the researches both of ,vertue and of ,walpole have resulted in discovering but very little about the career of that excellent miniature painter ,john ,hoskins1 and both quote an extract from ,graham's ,english ,school1 to this effect3 ,he ,hoskins was bred to face painting in oils1 but afterwards taking to miniature1 far exceeded what he did before4 ,he drew ,charles1 his ,queen1 and most of the ,court1 and had two considerable disciples1 ,alexander and ,samuel ,cooper1 the latter of whom became much the more eminent limner2 and though it must be conceded there is not much to be gleaned about the life of the man1 it is evident that he had a considerable share of the ,court and aristocratic patronage in his day4 ,the ,earl of ,wharncliffe possesses1 or did possess1 portraits of the ,countess of ,carlisle1 as well as one of ,oliver ,cromwell4 ,mr4 ,whitehead does1 or did1 possess one of ,lucy1 ,viscountess ,falkland2 also one of ,john ,gauden1 ,bishop of ,worcester4 ,lord ,derby owns a portrait of the ill-fated ,henrietta ,maria2 the ,duke of ,devonshire one of ,thomas ,hobbs1 philosopher2 ,general ,sotheby owns portraits of ,sir ,edmundbury ,godfrey and ,sir ,charles ,lucas4 ,we miss in the works of ,hoskins the minute touch of ,hilliard1 the refinement of the ,olivers1 and the breadth of ,samuel ,cooper2 yet ,sir ,kenelm ,digby1 in his ,discourses1 says that by his paintings he pleased the public more than ,van ,dyck4 ,horace ,walpole allows his heads to have great truth and nature1 but finds fault with the carnations as too bricky and wanting a degradation and variety of tints4 ,the few lines quoted above virtually sum up the approximate rank and position of ,john ,hoskins1 and ,i am not aware that recent biographers have discovered anything of importance to add to them4 ,that he was master to such an artist as ,samuel ,cooper1 and that his pupil's manner was clearly formed on that of the master1 constitute1 perhaps1 the strongest claim that can be urged for ,hoskins in connection with this subject4 ,there is a great deal of truth to nature in ,hoskins's work4 ,elsewhere ,i have termed his style virile and unaffected1 and ,i do not know that ,i can find more appropriate epithets4 ,at the same time1 the justice of ,walpole's criticism1 that ,hoskins is defective in colour1 must be admitted4 ,it is quite true that the carnations are too bricky1 and wanting in gradation and variety of tint4 ,this deficiency1 which is a very serious one in miniature painting1 depriving the flesh tints of their charm1 may be traced in part to the medium employed4 ,the amount of body colour used by limners of this period was so great1 that the transparency of tone attained by later painters was impossible4 ,the work of the incomparable ,cooper himself is not free from this defect1 and we see it carried to excess both in the case of ,cooper's master and in that of his pupil ,flatman4 ,all three are marked by a certain dryness of colour attaining to brickiness1 only ,cooper generally avoids the extremes into which the other two artists fall4 ,this fault1 it may be said1 is characteristic of examples ,i have seen and possess4 ,the character of ,charles ,i41 whose melancholy visage ,hoskins has drawn in a miniature now at ,windsor1 and here shown1 is extremely well rendered4 ,in the ,duke of ,rutland's valuable collection at ,belvoir ,castle there is an interesting portrait of ,charles1 when ,prince of ,wales1 aged fourteen1 ascribed to ,hoskins1 but infinitely inferior in the rendering of expression4 ,lord ,carlisle owns1 ,i believe1 a replica of the last named4 ,one of the finest examples of the master that ,i have met with is a portrait of ,percy1 tenth ,earl of ,northumberland1 now in the collection of ,lord ,aldenham1 and this nobleman also possesses a portrait of ,elizabeth1 wife of ,frederick1 fifth ,king of ,bohemia4 ,the question has been raised whether there were two ,john ,hoskinses1 father and son4 ,it will be noticed that in an extract from ,graham which ,i have given he speaks of but one ,hoskins1 and those who argue that there were two appear to rest their contention mainly upon the foundation of a variation in the manner of signing the portrait4 ,thus the mark is said to distinguish the works of the father from those of the son1 which have ,i4 ,h4 simply4 ,but if this be the test1 then it may be urged that there were several ,john ,hoskinses1 since amongst the miniatures shown at ,burlington ,house from ,windsor1 and by the ,duke of ,buccleuch1 ascribed to ,hoskins1 there were the following different signatures3 ,h4 only1 ,i4 ,h4 #afde1 ,i4 ,h4 fc1 ,i4 ,h4 7connected74 ,i am unable to give the date of the birth of ,john ,hoskins1 but he died in #affd1 and was buried in ,st4 ,paul's1 ,covent ,garden4 ,,vii ,,samuel ,,cooper ,illustration3 ,s4 ,,liotard4 ,,lady ,,mary ,,wortley ,,montagu4 ,illustration3 ,,after ,,sir ,,joshua ,,reynolds4 ,,amelia1 ,,duchess ,,of ,,leinster4 7,earl of ,charlemont47 ,,chapter ,,vii ,,samuel ,,cooper ,as ,hilliard has made us familiar with the features of the most distinguished members of the ,court of ,elizabeth1 so1 a hundred years later1 did ,samuel ,cooper1 that admirable workman and good company as ,pepys describes him1 draw for us on a few inches of cardboard the presentment of the ,cromwell family and many of the men and beautiful women who made up the entourage of the second ,charles4 ,samuel ,cooper1 in whom1 it has been said1 the art of miniature painting culminated1 was born in ,london1 in #afji4 ,he came of an artistic stock1 his uncle being ,john ,hoskins1 himself a painter of no mean reputation1 as we have just seen4 ,samuel was instructed by his elder brother ,alexander in the art of limning1 and both brothers are reputed to have been the pupils of their uncle4 ,be that as it may1 ,samuel spent much of his life on the ,continent1 and was intimate with many of the eminent men of his day4 ,pepys frequently mentions the artist in terms of warm commendation4 ,possibly the fact that he was an excellent musician endeared him to the amiable diarist1 who1 under the date #affh1 ,july #ajth1 says3 ,to ,cooper's1 and there find my wife4444 ,and here he do work finely1 though ,i fear it will not be so like as ,i expected2 but now ,i understand his great skill in music1 his playing and setting to the ,french lute most excellently1 and he speaks ,french1 and indeed is an excellent man4 ,this visit is explained by a previous entry1 on ,march #bith3 ,harris 444 hath persuaded me to have ,cooper draw my wife's portrait1 which1 though it cost #cj1 yet will ,i have done4 ,thirty pounds in those days was1 of course1 a considerable sum of money1 but it seems to have been ,cooper's usual price for a miniature1 as we learn from the record of another visit to the painter in the pages of the immortal diary3 ,to ,cooper's1 where ,i spent all the afternoon with my wife and girl1 seeing him make an end of her picture1 which he did to my great content1 though not so great as ,i confess ,i expected1 being not satisfied in the greatness of the resemblance1 nor in the blue garment2 but it is most certainly a most rare piece of work as to the painting4 ,he hath #cj for his work1 and the chrystal and case and gold case comes to #h #cs4 #d;d41 and which ,i sent him this night that ,i might be out of his debt4 ,elsewhere ,pepys relates visiting the artist's studio and being much struck with the miniature of one ,swinfen1 ,secretary to my ,lord ,manchester4444 ,this fellow died in debt and never paid ,cooper for this picture4444 ,cooper himself did buy it from the creditors1 and give #be out of his purse for it1 for what he was to have had but #cj4 ,illustration3 ,,unknown4 ,a ,,lady4 7,lord ,tweedmouth47 ,illustration3 ,,gaspar ,,netscher4 ,,sarah ,,jennings1 ,,duchess ,,of ,,marlborough4 7,charles ,butler1 ,esq47 ,the market value of ,cooper's miniatures1 however1 very rapidly rose4 ,thus we find ,walpole writing in ,february1 #ageh1 to ,sir ,horace ,mann3 ,but our glaring extravagance is in the constant high price given for pictures4444 ,i know but one dear picture not sold 7this was at ,mr4 ,furnese's auction7--,cooper's head of ,o4 ,cromwell1 an unfinished miniature4 ,they asked me four hundred pounds for it4 ,of this masterpiece1 which ,cunningham correctly assumes to be the one mentioned elsewhere as in the possession of ,lady ,franklin1 widow of ,sir ,thomas1 a descendant of ,cromwell1 of which there is an exquisite copy in the ,harley ,collection at ,welbeck1 made in #agbc by ,bernard ,lens1 ,dallaway says it is related in the family that ,cromwell surprised ,cooper while he was copying the portrait and indignantly took it away with him4 ,the original was shown at ,burlington ,house in #ahgi1 being then in the possession of the ,duke of ,buccleuch4 ,it formerly belonged to ,mr4 ,henry ,cromwell ,frankland1 of ,chichester1 who inherited it through a daughter of ,lady ,elizabeth ,claypole4 ,the ,lady ,frankland 7not ,franklin7 mentioned above was the grand-daughter of ,oliver ,cromwell4 ,the ,protector and his family seem to have been very favourite subjects of the painter4 ,thus in the ,loan ,collection of #ahfe1 out of some eighty or ninety miniatures ascribed to ,cooper there were no less than seven of ,oliver ,cromwell1 and almost as many of his daughters and of ,richard ,cromwell4 ,a very beautiful example is the portrait of ,oliver's second and favourite daughter1 ,elizabeth ,claypole1 who is said to have upbraided her father for his share in the death of ,charles ,i4 and his cruelty in sanctioning the execution of the ,royalist agent1 ,dr4 ,hewitt4 ,it is signed ,s4 ,c4 #afee and belongs to the ,duke of ,devonshire1 who also possesses a very fine portrait of the ,protector1 of which a ,french critic1 ,m4 de ,conches1 has remarked that ,cooper was a man who knew how to enlarge the style of a miniature1 and that this particular specimen was as vigorous as oil1 perfectly modelled and firm in touch4 ,in the same collection is the profile drawing on paper in pen and brown ink from which ,houbraken engraved his portrait4 ,at ,stafford ,house is another portrait of ,oliver1 and also a very interesting example of the pencil studies from which the artist used to paint his miniatures4 ,it was in connection with this portrait that ,walpole gave it as his opinion that ,if his portrait of ,cromwell could be so enlarged to the size of one of ,van ,dyck's pictures1 ,i do not know but ,van ,dyck would appear less great by comparison4 ,this is the portrait referred to by ,walpole above4 ,the ,duke of ,buccleuch possesses another ,cooper of unsurpassed interest--,cromwell's ,latin ,secretary4 ,this portrait of the poet fully bears out the description of ,aubrey1 who says that ,milton had light browne haire4 ,his complexion exceeding fayre1 oval face1 his eie a dark gray4 ,he was a spare man4 ,illustration3 ,w4 ,,derby4 ,,duchess ,,of ,,hamilton4 7,earl of ,derby47 ,illustration3 ,,james ,,nixon4 ,,miss ,,kitty ,,mudge4 7,canon ,raffles ,flint47 ,another characteristic of ,cooper's work is that he frequently leaves his miniatures unfinished1 being content1 apparently1 as soon as he had seized the likeness4 ,it was this peculiarity1 doubtless1 that gave rise to ,walpole's disparaging1 and1 it must be contended1 unjust remark that ,cooper1 with so much merit1 had two defects3 his skill was confined to a mere head2 his drawing of the neck and shoulders so incorrect and untoward that it seems to account for the number of his works unfinished4 ,it looks as if he was sensible how small a way his talent extended6 ,this very properly accounts for the other defect1 his want of grace1 a signal deficiency in a painter of portraits1 yet how seldom possessed4 ,as to this latter deficiency1 it is very much a matter of opinion4 ,those who have seen the portrait at ,windsor of the ,duke of ,monmouth when young will hardly be disposed to allow it2 indeed1 when we have such an amazing power of seizing character1 and such breadth of delineation1 we can afford to dispense with mere superficial prettiness4 ,and1 to return to ,walpole's first contention1 it is surely unlikely that the artist who could portray such subtleties of character and expression as ,cooper did should not have been able to extend his talent so small a way as to draw necks and shoulders if he had been so minded4 ,in the ,royal ,collection is a head of ,charles ,,ii41 which with another of ,george ,monck1 ,duke of ,albemarle1 and that of ,monmouth mentioned above1 form a trio of portraits difficult to surpass for character and simplicity1 although the two last are unfinished4 ,there is1 however1 no want of finish in the elaborate picture of ,charles ,,ii41 wearing the ,robes of the ,garter1 which belongs to the ,duke of ,richmond1 and is preserved at ,goodwood4 ,it is one of the largest and finest examples of the master1 and gives more dignity to that cynical voluptuary than any portrait of him with which ,i am acquainted4 ,it has been said that ,cooper's portraits of women are inferior to his portraits of men1 and1 on the whole1 ,i think this must be conceded4 ,in the ,dyce ,collection at the ,victoria and ,albert ,museum will be found a series of fourteen more or less unfinished miniatures attributed to ,samuel ,cooper1 and shown with a pocket-book in which they were found1 which formerly belonged to ,mr4 ,edwin ,h4 ,lawrence4 ,i have used the word attributed advisedly1 because several of these miniatures1 attractive as they are1 seem to me to lack the supreme quality of ,samuel ,cooper's work4 ,some1 it has been suggested1 recall ,flatman#c rather1 or1 as ,i think more likely1 ,dixon4 ,they are in various stages of completion1 and show the artist's method of working2 well drawn and broadly treated1 they are excellent work1 and most interesting1 technically speaking4 ,footnote #c3 ,thomas ,flatman was a briefless barrister and poet1 who imitated but never equalled ,cooper's work1 although ,vertue pronounces him equal to ,hoskins4 ,his portrait by ,lely is in the ,national ,portrait ,gallery4 ,the biographical details to be gleaned of this ,english master miniature painter seem to be meagre in the extreme1 and still slighter are they in the case of his elder brother ,alexander4 ,i recall two examples of the latter's work1 both in the ,royal ,library at ,windsor2 one a portrait of ,sir ,john ,king1 a highly successful lawyer of his day1 a favourite of ,king ,charles ,,ii41 who intended to make him ,attorney-,general2 but he died when only thirty-eight1 and lies buried in the ,temple ,church4 ,granger says of him3 ,such was his reputation and so extensive his practice that in the latter part of his life his fees amounted to forty and fifty pounds a day4 ,his portrait is given on p4 #ada4 ,the other is of ,james ,stuart1 created second ,duke of ,richmond in #afda4 ,this nobleman is noteworthy as being one of the four who offered their lives to save ,king ,charles ,i4 ,illustration3 ,r4 ,,cosway1 ,r4,a4 ,,isabelle1 ,,marchioness ,,of ,,hertford4 7,meynell-,ingram ,collection47 ,illustration3 ,s4 ,,shelley4 ,,portrait ,,of ,a ,,gentleman4 7,miss ,kendall47 ,illustration3 ,s4 ,,collins4 ,,lady ,,frances ,,radcliffe4 7,earl of ,carlisle47 ,there is great strength and force of character in the portrait of this staunch ,royalist4 ,technically1 however1 both pieces are inferior to the work of ,samuel ,cooper4 ,illustration3 ,w4 ,,derby4 ,,lady ,,elizabeth ,,hamilton4 7,earl of ,derby47 ,,viii ,,petitot ,,chapter ,,viii ,,petitot ,as we saw in a previous chapter1 it is to a ,frenchman1 ,jean ,toutin1 that the credit of applying enamel to portraiture must be given4 ,it may be remarked1 in passing1 that it is somewhat remarkable that this difficult but beautiful process should come into use just as the older and decorative enamelling fell into decay4 ,jean ,toutin was assisted by pupils1 amongst whom one stands pre-eminent1 so much so that the fame of the early professors of this art1 including that of ,toutin himself1 may be said to have become merged in the reputation of ,petitot1 and everything in the shape of a portrait in enamel of that period is commonly assigned1 one might almost say without hesitation1 to ,jean ,petitot1 very often1 it is needless to add1 upon the slenderest grounds4 ,we are fortunate to possess in this country a considerable number of examples of the portraiture we are about to discuss4 ,these may be seen and studied in the ,jones ,collection at the ,victoria and ,albert ,museum4 ,a comparison of them will show how wide are the differences existing between works ostensibly by the same artist1 to whom we may now return4 ,petitot came of a family of ,french origin1 but was born at ,geneva1 where his parents1 having adopted the reformed religion1 had settled4 ,paul1 the father of ,jean ,petitot1 was a wood-carver4 ,his son is thought by some of his biographers1 of whom there are several1 to have commenced life as a goldsmith and jeweller4 ,we have already seen how close was the connection between the various occupations of goldsmith and jeweller1 enameller and miniature painter1 and this connection was still existing at the beginning of the seventeenth century1 when ,petitot was born4 ,we need not stop to inquire precisely into the early stages of our artist's career1 but we may gather that he applied himself to an occupation which was the fashion of the time1 namely1 the enrichment of gems with ornaments1 such as flowers and the like1 in enamel2 and we may safely conclude that he became proficient1 for1 after a sojourn in ,france1 he came to ,england when he was about twenty-eight4 ,arrived in ,london in #afcd or #afce1 ,petitot proceeded to show the ,court jeweller his work in enamel2 this led to an introduction to the ,king4 ,charles ,i41 a passionate lover of art1 as we know1 must have appreciated the artist's ability1 since we find that he assigned him an apartment in the palace at ,whitehall4 ,by great good fortune1 the young ,petitot had the advantage of the protection of a ,genevese1 physician to the ,king1 and a celebrated chemist1 ,sir ,turquet de ,mayerne4 ,such a patron and colleague must have been of the utmost assistance to our artist in this stage of his career1 since he was able to further his chemical researches1 and aid him in experiments in vitrification which resulted in the painter's palette being much enriched and his methods perfected4 ,i may remark1 by the way1 there is a very characteristic portrait of ,sir ,turquet1 after ,rubens1 at ,hampton ,court4 ,illustration3 ,r4 ,,cosway1 ,r4,a4 ,,richard ,,and ,,maria ,,cosway4 ,but1 in addition to the scientific help which ,petitot's countryman was able to afford1 the artist enjoyed the advantage of instruction from the ,king's chief portrait painter1 ,sir ,anthony ,van ,dyck2 and it is significant of the close relationship which probably existed between the two artists that the copies which ,petitot made from the great ,fleming's work are esteemed as amongst his most exquisite productions1 combining grace and freedom with marvellous exactness1 in spite of the minuteness of the scale4 ,it is one of these copies of ,van ,dyck1 namely the whole length of ,rachel de ,rouvigny1 ,countess of ,southampton1 that ,horace ,walpole does not hesitate to call indubitably the most capital work in enamel in the world4444 ,it is nine and three-quarter inches high1 by five and three-quarter inches wide1 and though the enamel is not perfect in some trifling parts1 the execution is the boldest1 and the colouring the most rich and beautiful that can be imagined4 ,it is dated #afdb4 ,he also mentions a portrait of ,buckingham1 painted about the same time4 ,three years later we find ,petitot arrived in ,paris1 led to take refuge in ,france1 there can be little doubt1 by the troubles which attended the outbreak of civil war in this country4 ,he was favourably received by ,cardinal ,mazarin1 and seems to have established himself at the ,french ,court with the same facility that he had done in the case of the ,english ,court1 as we find him installed in the ,louvre and in receipt of a pension from ,le ,grand ,monarque4 ,the portraits of ,louis ,,xiv4 by ,petitot may be termed almost innumerable1 for reasons which ,i hope to show by and by4 ,five or six years after his return to ,france he married ,madeleine ,cuper1 and a certain ,jacques ,bordier1 of whom more anon1 married her sister ,margaret4 ,the brothers-in-law worked together for many years1 ,bordier being responsible for the draperies and backgrounds of the portraits and ,petitot for the exquisite details of the features4 ,this art partnership lasted until the death of ,bordier1 in #afhd4 ,petitot remained in ,paris till #afhg1 a period of forty-two years4 ,he would have quitted ,france earlier1 namely at the revocation of the ,edict of ,nantes1 in #afhe1 but ,louis was clearly unwilling to part with him4 ,the ,king shut up the painter1 whose ,protestant origin we have already mentioned1 in ,fort l',evque1 and sent the eloquent ,bossuet to convert him4 ,to regain his liberty he signed like the rest1 and escaped to ,geneva4 ,by this time the artist was in his eightieth year1 but his powers of vision and the cunning of his hand appear to have been unabated4 ,at any rate1 he was overwhelmed1 we are told1 with commissions1 and retired to ,vevey to escape the importunity of his patrons4 ,he lived four years longer1 and was carried off by a sudden illness in a day1 as he was painting his wife1 says ,walpole4 ,illustration3 ,r4 ,,cosway1 ,r4,a4 ,,lady ,,caroline ,,howard4 7,earl of ,carlisle47 ,illustration3 ,,william1 ,,fifth ,,duke ,,of ,,devonshire4 7,earl of ,carlisle47 ,illustration3 ,,lady ,,horatia ,,seymour4 ,a mention has been made of ,bordier as ,petitot's brother-in-law2 and ,i may here point out that according to ,monsieur ,reiset1 the compiler of the catalogue of the ,louvre1 there were two ,bordiers who worked with ,petitot in ,england1 namely ,jacques1 to whom reference has already been made1 and ,peter ,bordier4 ,i do not know that there is much to be learned about these collaborateurs of ,petitot1 but of the two ,peter seems the better known1 and is indeed reputed to have been the master of ,petitot4 ,he remained in ,england after ,petitot left it1 and painted for the ,parliament a memorial of the ,battle of ,naseby1 which was presented to ,fairfax4 ,it was in the shape of a watch4 ,walpole purchased it from the collection at ,thoresby1 whither it came from the executors of the famous ,roundhead general4 ,it will be found fully described in the ,anecdotes of ,painting4 ,apropos of the ,bordiers1 ,i may mention that ,petitot had a very large family1 namely1 eight daughters and nine sons2 but only one1 so far as ,i know1 namely ,jean1 who is known as ,petitot le fils1 displayed anything of his father's artistic talent4 ,this younger ,petitot was patronised by our ,king ,charles ,,ii4 ,he was born in #afej1 settled in ,england1 and married ,madeleine ,bordier1 the daughter of his father's colleague4 ,he died in ,london1 and after his death his family removed to ,dublin4 ,his work was distinctly inferior to his father's1 both in colour and in finish4 ,the ,earl of ,dartrey1 who possesses a number of enamels1 has amongst his valuable collection ,petitot le vieux par luy mesme1 also ,petitot fils and his wife4 ,the two latter are inscribed as follows3 ,petitot fait par luy mesme d'age de #cc ans #afhe4 ,petitot a fait ce portrait ,paris en ,janvier #afij qui est sa femme4 ,another son of the elder ,petitot rose to be a ,major-,general in the ,british ,army4 ,besides the younger ,petitot1 a number of imitators and copyists of the elder may be named4 ,amongst these were his contemporaries ,perrot and ,chatillon1 the engraver4 ,then there is ,jacques ,philippe ,ferrand1 who studied under ,mignard2 he was a member of the ,academy and a valet-de-chambre to ,louis ,,xiv4 ,his father1 ,louis ,ferrand1 had been physician to the preceding monarch4 ,at a later date we find ,mademoiselle ,chavant1 who painted at ,svres at the end of the eighteenth century2 ,mose ,constantin1 who was an enameller1 and also painted on porcelain4 ,he was a ,genevese1 but lived at ,paris1 and was painter to the ,king1 #agbf-h4 ,four more ,genevese1 also enamellers1 may be named1 all of whom painted copies of ,petitot1 namely1 ,alexandre de la ,chana1 ,dufey1 ,lambert1 and ,j4 ,g4 ,soutter4 ,when we come to know of all these imitators or followers of ,petitot1 we begin to understand the enormous quantity of work attributed to him by the uninitiated2 but difficult as it may be for the unpractised eye to discriminate1 there may very well be a large number of works which are from the hand of ,petitot himself1 because1 as we have seen1 he spent a long and laborious life1 and there was in his time a demand for this particular kind of portraiture far in excess of anything like modern requirements4 ,that demand arose from the use of these enamel portraits for snuff-boxes1 which were then so largely employed1 not only for personal use1 but as diplomatic presents4 ,the amount of taste and labour bestowed upon these objects may be realised by those who will study the ,le ,noir ,collection at the ,louvre1 the many fine pieces at the ,victoria and ,albert ,museum1 and last1 but not least1 those shown at ,hertford ,house4 ,they were1 of course1 extremely expensive1 and such was their artistic charm that we do not wonder at people making a hobby of collecting them4 ,thus1 we are told1 ,frederick the ,great owned #a1ejj snuff-boxes2 then there was the ,comte de ,brieulle1 the favourite minister of the ,king of ,saxony1 who was said to have owned #cjj costumes1 with a walking-stick and snuff-box appropriate to each4 ,this was the nobleman of whom ,frederick the ,great remarked that he had tant de perruques et si peu de tte4 ,illustration3 ,r4 ,,cosway1 ,r4,a4 ,,george ,,iv4 ,,when ,,prince ,,of ,,wales4 7,shaftesbury family47 ,these boits aux portraits were in fashionable use during the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries4 ,we have seen how ,louis ,,xiv4 employed ,petitot as far back as #afde1 and we read of a portrait of ,louis ,,xvi4 when ,dauphin being sent to ,marie ,antoinette on her arrival in #aggj4 ,the picture was by ,p4 ,a4 ,hall1 the most distinguished miniaturist in ,france1 and cost #b1ffd francs4 ,the box in which it was mounted contained seventy-five brilliants1 costing over seventy-eight thousand francs1 or nearly thirty times as much4 ,the production of portraits for these snuff-boxes assumed the proportions of a manufactory at the ,french ,court during the eighteenth century2 thus the archives of the ,ministry of ,foreign ,affairs contain entries showing that enamel portraits were made by the dozen1 and one ,bruckmann1 a ,swede1 supplied as many as nineteen at a time4 ,i may mention with regard to the illustrations of ,petitot here shown that the portrait of ,cardinal ,richelieu is mounted in a lovely chased gold and jasper snuff-box1 which once belonged to the ,king of ,saxony4 ,the ,louis ,,xiv4 is also upon a snuff-box4 ,the ,cardinal ,mazarin comes from the ,earl of ,carlisle's celebrated collection at ,castle ,howard4 ,the ,charles ,i4 on a preceding page was at ,strawberry ,hill1 and ,walpole thus speaks of it3 ,i have a fine head of ,charles ,i41 for which he probably sat1 as it is not like any ,i have seen by ,van ,dyck4 ,my portrait came from one of his ,petitot's sons1 who was a ,major in our service1 and died a ,major-,general at ,northallerton #agfd4 ,this now belongs to the ,burdett-,coutts ,collection1 as does the ,charles ,,ii41 the extremely fine ,james ,,ii41 and also1 ,i may remind the reader1 the lovely ,henrietta1 ,duchess of ,orleans1 perhaps the most beautiful of all his works1 and reproduced on p4 #aea4 ,a few words may be said in conclusion as to the painter's method4 ,he is reported to have generally used plates of gold or silver1 seldom copper1 for the foundation of his miniatures4 ,his signed works are excessively rare4 ,the ,duke of ,buckingham1 dated #afdj1 to which ,i have already referred1 is signed1 however1 and in the ,louvre there is an example bearing a date1 but these are exceptions4 ,the beautiful borders which1 in the shape of wreaths of enamelled flowers1 are to be met with around his works1 such as that in the ,jones ,collection1 for example1 are the work of ,jules ,legarr1 goldsmith to the ,king1 with whom there is little doubt ,jean ,petitot must have worked in the execution of commissions for the ,court4 ,illustration3 ,r4 ,,cosway1 ,r4,a4 ,,lady ,,caroline ,,duncombe4 7,w4 ,b4 ,stopford1 ,esq47 ,illustration3 ,,the ,,ladies ,,georgina ,,and ,,harriet ,,cavendish4 7,earl of ,carlisle47 ,,ix ,,some ,,georgian ,,artists ,illustration3 ,r4 ,,cosway1 ,r4,a4 ,,by ,,himself4 7,national ,portrait ,gallery47 ,illustration3 ,,lady ,,hamilton4 7,j4 ,h4 ,anderdon1 ,esq47 ,illustration3 ,a4 ,,plimer4 ,,lady ,,theresa ,,strangways4 ,,chapter ,,ix ,,some ,,georgian ,,artists ,it is a hundred years from the death of ,samuel ,cooper1 which was in #afgb1 to the time when ,cosway1 ,smart1 and ,humphrey may be said to have established their reputation as miniature painters of the first rank4 ,thus ,richard ,cosway was elected ,royal ,academician in #aggc1 and ,ozias ,humphrey1 having made his start in life and obtained ,royal patronage1 set out the same year with ,romney for ,italy4 ,five years later ,john ,smart was made ,vice-,president of the ,incorporated ,society of ,artists4 ,this century1 it will be observed1 takes in the whole of the early ,georgian period2 and it is a time of great dearth and barrenness in our subject1 indeed1 of art generally1 in this country4 ,when the three distinguished artists ,i have just named1 ,petitot and the two or three good enamellers we had1 such as ,meyer and ,moser1 whom ,i have dealt with elsewhere--,i say1 when these names are excepted1 practically none of the first importance remain4 ,lawrence ,crosse 7#agbd-aghd71 with his somewhat heavy and insipid style1 his fondness for blue drapery--so well shown in the ,duke of ,portland's ,collection--and the ,lens family1 with their somewhat puzzling personality1 may be named4 ,there was also some good work done by stray artists like ,gaspar ,netscher1 whose rendering of the imperious ,sarah ,jennings from the collection of ,mr4 ,charles ,butler ,i give on p4 #agg4 ,then there was the eccentric ,jean ,etienne ,liotard1 who was born at ,geneva in #agjb and died there in the first year of the ,french ,revolution4 ,he was an artist of great ability1 but of somewhat irregular habits and uncertain methods of work1 and was known in ,paris as le ,turc4 ,oriental costumes had a fascination for him1 and some of his finest drawings are of figures in flowing ,eastern robes4 ,walpole criticises him and says his likenesses were as exact as possible2 ,sir ,joshua ,reynolds seems to have been jealous of him and sneers at his style4 ,probably his best work was in pastel4 ,he was patronised by ,maria ,theresa1 and by ,royalty in this country4 ,the ,museum at ,amsterdam has of late years been enriched by several examples bequeathed by descendants4 ,i confess to finding great charm in his work2 so far as ,i know1 he is unrepresented in our ,national collections1 except by some drawings in the print-room of the ,british ,museum4 ,in the ,salle des ,dessins at the ,louvre1 however1 is a striking full-length figure of a woman in ,russian costume2 and the ,bessborough family possess works by him1 he having met the ,earl of ,bessborough of his day at ,constantinople and enjoyed that nobleman's patronage4 ,illustration3 ,r4 ,,cosway1 ,r4,a4 ,,lady ,,orde4 7,sir ,a4 ,j4 ,campbell-,orde1 ,bart47 ,i give examples of two excellent ,english artists of this period whose work is very pleasing without being1 perhaps1 of the first rank1 viz41 ,james ,nixon1 born within a year or two of ,ozias ,humphrey--that is1 in #agda 7his ,miss ,kitty ,mudge is marked by great refinement72 and ,samuel ,collins1 whose ,lady ,frances ,radcliffe is shown on p4 #ahe2 he was the master of ,humphrey1 and enjoyed a great reputation at ,bath1 which he took with him to ,dublin4 ,in much the same category as the two foregoing may be placed ,samuel ,shelley1 though personally ,i prefer ,collins and ,nixon1 as ,shelley's drawing is often defective1 not to speak of other faults1 traceable1 no doubt1 to his origin and want of training--for he was a self-taught genius1 born in ,whitechapel1 in #agej4 ,he is said to have founded his style upon that of ,sir ,joshua ,reynolds2 if so1 he fell very far short of his master4 ,he devoted much time also to female subjects1 treated allegorically1 such as ,chastity1 which was engraved4 ,his book illustrations are reckoned inferior to his miniatures4 ,some examples of his work may be seen at the ,victoria and ,albert ,museum4 ,the number of miniature painters of about the calibre of ,shelley who belong to this period--that is to say1 the latter half of the eighteenth century--is so great that ,i can1 in a chat about miniatures1 only mention a few of them4 ,the ,william ,derby whose attractive portraits of ,lady ,elizabeth ,hamilton and the ,duchess of ,hamilton adorn these pages was a ,birmingham man1 probably best known by his drawings for ,lodge's ,portraits of ,illustrious ,personages4 ,he was assisted by a son1 who lived until #ahgc4 ,the work of the elder was marked by great care and minuteness4 ,he copied all the family portraits for the ,earl of ,derby1 and was a frequent exhibitor at the ,academy and elsewhere4 ,the ,lady ,elizabeth ,hamilton1 shown on p4 #ahi1 was daughter of the sixth ,duke of ,hamilton2 the ,duchess of ,hamilton is1 of course1 ,elizabeth ,gunning1 ,duchess of ,hamilton and afterwards of ,argyll1 one of the two famous ,irish beauties who took the town by storm in ,horry ,walpole's time1 and whose career has been so often narrated4 ,i also give her sister1 ,maria ,gunning1 who became ,countess of ,coventry1 and died an early victim to cosmetics4 ,no doubt1 it has often occurred to my readers that there ought to be a ,british national collection of miniatures4 ,it is a reproach that none such exists4 ,miniature painting is a branch of art which has been flourishing amongst us for three centuries at least1 and it has been carried to great perfection2 no country can show more beautiful work of the kind1 and in the number1 as well as in the charm1 of its miniatures ,england is unsurpassed4 ,yet no attempt has ever been made to procure a permanent collection4 ,had such efforts been made1 say even a generation ago1 examples might have been obtained at prices vastly below what would have to be paid in order to acquire them nowadays1 and many precious works might have been secured4 ,as we all know1 the sums realised by fine miniatures1 especially of ladies1 and by men like ,cosway and his pupils the ,plimers1 by ,smart or ,engleheart1 to say nothing of historical works by ,hilliard and ,samuel ,cooper1 are enormous4 ,such a national collection would be attractive and instructive in the highest degree--attractive to lovers of art and history1 instructive to students1 who could hardly fail to benefit by the study of such work as might have been1 long ere this1 brought together1 whilst the miniature painters of our day clearly stand in need of such artistic training4 ,finally1 let the collector try to realise what valuable opportunities such a collection would afford for the comparison of style1 for identification1 and for instruction generally in this fascinating subject4 ,illustration3 ,o4 ,,humphrey1 ,r4,a4 ,,caroline ,,of ,,anspach4 ,illustration3 ,j4 ,,smart4 ,,lady ,,clive4 7,earl of ,powis47 ,illustration3 ,j4 ,,smart4 ,,portrait ,,of ,a ,,lady4 7,miss ,kendall47 ,illustration3 ,,lord ,,clive4 7,earl of ,powis47 ,illustration3 ,,after ,g4 ,,romney4 ,,ozias ,,humphrey1 ,r4,a4 ,x ,,richard ,,cosway ,,chapter ,x ,,richard ,,cosway ,probably there is no one miniature painter whose name is so familiar to the general reader as that of ,richard ,cosway1 there is no one whose works in this particular branch of art are more admired1 no one more frequently copied1 and1 as a consequence1 no one whose miniatures or alleged miniatures are to be found in so many ,british collections as ,maccaroni ,cosway1 as he was called in his day4 ,maccaroni1 you remember1 was a name given to dandies about the last quarter of the eighteenth century4 ,sticking a huge feather in his hat1 disporting himself in a mulberry coat with scarlet strawberries1 displaying himself at sale-rooms and other places of public resort--these and such-like doings were delights to this diminutive1 vain1 and eccentric artist4 ,yankee ,doodle went to town ,upon a little pony1 ,he stuck a feather in his hat ,and called it ,maccaroni4 ,in his ,lives of ,eminent ,british ,painters ,allan ,cunningham closes a long account of ,cosway in these words1 ,his works are less widely known than they deserve1 and his fame is faded4 ,in the light of the present day1 and the annals of the auction-room1 that statement is one which can by no means be admitted4 ,it may1 on the contrary1 be safely asserted of ,richard ,cosway that his fame1 whatever it may have been in the days of ,allan ,cunningham1 so far from fading1 has been steadily increasing1 until it has reached a pinnacle of the highest reputation--that is1 if the pecuniary test be applied4 ,but whilst this is true1 it may also be conceded that of late a more just appreciation of the relative merits of ,cosway1 as compared with some of his contemporaries1 has been made by the impartial and discriminating critic2 by which ,i mean it is not so much that ,cosway has become less famous1 but that others1 such as ,george ,engleheart and ,john ,smart1 for example1 have received proper recognition1 and all the finest works of the period are no longer assigned1 as a matter of course1 to ,cosway1 as it may be said was at one time the case4 ,the eccentricities of ,cosway as a man1 his diminutive appearance1 and extravagance of attire1 made him a conspicuous object wherever he went4 ,his extravagance of living1 his vanity and ostentation1 excited jealousy and ridicule2 but1 whilst fortune smiled on him1 he could boast of his friendship with the ,prince of ,wales1 and lavishly entertained the rank and fashion of his day4 ,he was1 according to the gossip of ,j4 ,t4 ,smith1 in his ,life and ,times of ,nollekins1 one of the dirtiest of boys4 ,this amusing but sometimes ill-natured writer says that ,cosway was employed as a waiter to the students at ,shipley's well-known drawing school1 and used to take in the tea and coffee for them4 ,inasmuch as his father was ,master of ,blundell's ,school1 ,tiverton1 it seems improbable that the young ,cosway would have been placed in such a menial position at ,shipley's4 ,that he was a student there we know1 as he was also in the studio of ,thomas ,hudson1 a mediocre artist1 best known as the master of ,sir ,joshua ,reynolds1 and1 like the ,president of the ,royal ,academy and ,cosway himself1 also a ,devonshire man4 ,illustration3 ,g4 ,,engleheart4 ,,portrait ,,of ,a ,,lady4 7,col4 ,w4 ,h4 ,walker47 ,illustration3 ,,portrait ,,of ,a ,,gentleman4 7,m4 ,viennot47 ,cosway must have come to ,london when of very tender years2 for in #agee1 being then only thirteen years old1 he won a premium of fifteen guineas of the then newly constituted ,society of ,arts1 for the best drawing of any kind by boys and girls under fourteen1 and this promise of early success was followed by his being elected ,associate of the ,royal ,academy when only twenty-nine1 and full member two years later4 ,the hard work that he went through in his early training1 joined1 no doubt1 to what must have been natural facility of execution1 gave him astonishing rapidity in his work1 as to which ,cunningham has observed3 ,he often finished miniatures at three sittings of half an hour each1 and when he sat down to dinner would boast that he had despatched during the day twelve or fourteen sitters4 ,if this boast be even approximately true1 he must indeed have been a prolific artist1 and his annual production of miniatures be reckoned by the thousand4 ,that there must be a vast number extant we may safely conclude when we remember the facility to which we have just referred1 and the fact that his earliest contributions to the ,academy were made when he was only twenty-six1 and that he worked until half a century later1 for he was eighty when he died4 ,but if1 then1 the existence must be allowed of an enormous number of miniatures by ,cosway1 to say nothing of those by his wife1 of whom ,i shall speak later1 what shall ,i say of the countless forgeries of this the most popular of all ,english miniature painters8 ,what was the case in his day ,i do not know1 but ,i am sure that there must be a never-ending host of copyists at work now1 who devote themselves particularly to imitating the works of ,cosway and his contemporaries4 ,and here ,i cannot refrain from telling a little story apropos of what happens to these copies4 ,it was told me by an artist who was present at an auction in certain well-known sale-rooms with a friend4 ,by and by some so-called ,cosways were put up and fetched very high prices1 whereat the acquaintance expressed great satisfaction to my artist friend1 and1 in a burst of confidence said1 ,you know1 ,i painted them myself4 ,well-known historical characters1 such as the ,pompadour1 ,madame ,du ,barry1 ,marie ,antoinette1 the ,first ,napoleon1 the ,empress ,josephine1 ,madame ,vige le ,brun1 and the rest1 whose name is legion1 these are the favourite subjects of the copyist4 ,the late ,dr4 ,propert1 who owned a large collection himself1 of by no means uniform quality1 speaks feelingly on this subject4 ,he says3 ,i am sorry to say that the ,french hold an unenviable pre-eminence for the production of spurious enamels and miniatures4 ,it is really of some danger to attempt a collection of ,french specimens2 many at once1 no doubt1 display the cloven hoof clearly enough to warn off even a novice1 but ,i have seen some which would puzzle an expert4 ,if any of these enterprising gentry get hold of a really old miniature1 it matters not how time or exposure to light may have wrecked the once beautiful tints1 the merest ghost suffices them2 they will restore and paint it all over again with a subdued palette1 and1 like new wine artificially aged by the arts of the chemist1 it presents itself in a guise which will take no denial4 ,this subject is one of very great importance to the collector1 upon whose credulity the forgers appear to be able to reckon to any extent1 and it is really remarkable the way in which people1 who should know better1 will bring out from their cabinets works to which they do not hesitate to attach some of the most eminent names to be found in the annals of the art of miniature painting4 ,if only they have picked them up themselves1 that appears to be one of the chief recommendations and guarantees of authenticity4 ,it is the delight in a bargain1 or what they are pleased to think is a bargain1 that appears to have such a fascination for generation after generation of collectors4 ,that this evil--for as such ,i regard it--is ever on the increase may be concluded from the fact of the increasing number of bric--brac shops in which one sees these forgeries displayed4 ,i do not know what their owners say about these so-called old miniatures1 and ,i do not wish necessarily to cast any stigma upon the vendors4 ,i might go farther1 and say that very often it seems as if the purchasers did not want to know the truth about these works4 ,they like to think that their own astuteness and sound judgment1 their sharp eye and keen nose for a bargain have enabled them to pick up 7that is their favourite word7 these treasures1 upon such favourable terms1 and to enrich their collection with gems which1 unaccountable as it may seem1 have quite escaped the notice of the general public and of the common or ordinary collector4 ,talking of collections1 it may be observed that ,cosway himself was a great collector4 ,his house1 ,no4 #a1 ,stratford ,place1 was full of costly works of art1 of silks1 china1 and gems of bijouterie and vertu1 in which he trafficked and dealt1 and his wife1 ,maria1 fully shared the painter's taste4 ,i may here say something about this lady1 who was in many ways a remarkable woman4 ,she was the daughter of an ,irishman named ,hadfield1 who was an innkeeper at ,leghorn4 ,maria was born in ,florence1 in #agei1 and lived to be nearly as old as her husband4 ,after studying art in ,rome1 she came to ,england1 where she took up miniature painting as a profession4 ,her first contributions to the ,royal ,academy were in #agha1 in which year ,cosway married her1 she being then twenty-two1 of a blonde type of beauty1 with soft blue eyes4 ,she practised art in various forms4 ,at ,hardwicke1 in the collection of the ,duke of ,devonshire1 there is a really fine picture painted by her of the beautiful duchess as ,cynthia1 full length1 in oils1 life size4 ,allan ,cunningham observed of this picture that when it was exhibited there was no little stir4 ,the likeness was excellent1 and its poetic feeling not unworthy of the poet 7,spenser7 whose work inspired it4 ,at ,longford ,castle the ,earl of ,radnor has a full length1 also in oils1 of a lady of the family4 ,illustration3 ,w4 ,,wood4 ,,portrait ,,of ,a ,,gentleman4 ,illustration3 ,,unknown4 ,,maria1 ,,duchess ,,of ,,coventry4 7,j4 ,g4 ,fanshawe1 ,esq47 ,as to her miniatures1 ,cunningham says3 ,almost the first time she was seen in public she was pointed out as the lady who had painted some of the most lovely miniatures in the ,royal ,academy1 and he adds1 her reputation was made at once1 for nothing was talked about but the great youth and the great talent of ,mrs4 ,cosway4 ,one half of the carriages that stopped at her husband's door contained sitters ambitious of the honours of her pencil4 ,he says that the painter was too proud a man to permit his wife to paint professionally4 ,but inexorable though he was in regard to painting1 he was more gentle in the matter of music1 of which ,maria was passionately fond1 and he had a handsome house and good income and allowed her to indulge in those splendid nuisances called evening parties4 ,with a character so full of vanity and weakness as ,cosway's was in some respects1 it is not surprising to learn that1 after twenty years of married life1 incompatibility of temperament1 as the phrase goes1 developed between this ill-assorted pair1 and at the beginning of the last century ,mrs4 ,cosway was separated from her husband4 ,in #ahjd she retired to a religious house at ,lyons1 ,cunningham says owing to the death of her daughter4 ,she was in ,london as late as #ahba-b selling her deceased husband's property1 old miniatures and so forth1 for ,cosway had died whilst taking the air in #ahba4 ,her final visit to ,england was in #ahbi1 on a similar errand4 ,she then retired to ,italy1 and founded a college at ,lodi1 near ,milan1 which grew into a religious house in connection with the order known as the ,institute of the ,blessed ,virgin ,mary1 and here she died1 in #ahch4 ,she was known as the ,baroness in ,italy1 the ,emperor ,francis of ,austria having granted her a title4 ,there is no doubt that ,maria ,cosway was a versatile and amiable woman and an artist of considerable ability4 ,although at one time separated from her husband1 she nursed him in his declining years4 ,as to his character1 ,andrew ,robertson1 the miniature painter1 although he terms him the vainest creature in the world1 says1 ,to me he behaved in the most liberal way2 and we have the valuable testimony of ,ozias ,humphrey1 who was a rival miniature painter1 that he was the kindliest of friends4 ,another contemporary1 ,william ,hazlitt1 says he was bright and joyous4 ,his pupil ,andrew ,plimer speaks of him as my beloved master2 and1 finally1 we have the testimony of his wife1 that he was toujours gai4 ,before leaving ,cosway a few remarks may be offered upon his technique4 ,one of the first characteristics of his style is what has been termed a certain hothouse lusciousness4 ,although the bulk of his work consisted of portraits from life1 whether it was that he did not attempt to make likeness a strong feature1 or whether he could not help exaggerating the delicacy of his sitters' complexions1 the size of their eyes1 and giving them an air of artificiality1 or whether it was the extreme rapidity of his method 7he used1 as we saw1 to boast of having painted several portraits in a day7--whether it be to one or all of these reasons that we must attribute the style of ,cosway1 there it is1 and so marked is it that1 generally speaking and in the case of fine examples1 at any rate1 one cannot mistake it4 ,the treatment of the hair is marked by breadth and peculiar freedom of handling1 the backgrounds are commonly1 but not always1 an ultramarine blue 7especially his early ones74 ,the foregoing remarks apply to ,cosway's miniatures upon ivory1 but1 as is well known1 he by no means confined himself to those4 ,some of his most pleasing work took the form of full-length figures drawn in pencil with a very slight background1 the draperies lightly drawn1 but the face carefully finished1 of which the ,george ,,iv41 given on p4 #bjc1 is a fine example4 ,he also painted in oils4 ,illustration3 ,,sir ,w4 ,c4 ,,ross1 ,r4,a4 ,,the ,,baroness ,,burdett-,,coutts4 ,,the ,,plimers4 ,amongst the many surprising vicissitudes of the auction-room1 the enhancement in value of the works of two of ,cosway's pupils may here be mentioned4 ,i refer to the prices that have been paid within the past few years for works by the brothers ,andrew and ,nathaniel ,plimer 7or ,plymer1 as the name is sometimes spelled74 ,that the miniatures of these men1 of whom ,andrew was much the better artist1 are pleasing--indeed1 have something of the charm of ,cosway--cannot be denied1 but they are less well-drawn than his1 the eyes1 particularly1 being exaggerated in size2 the execution of the hair is certainly inferior to ,cosway's1 being stiff and wiry4 ,in spite of this inferiority--which1 ,i think1 is apparent upon a careful comparison--miniatures which1 a few years ago1 could be bought for a few pounds now fetch as many hundreds4 ,despite some early struggles1 ,i do not know that there is very much that need be said about these painters1 beyond this posthumous rise in the value of their works4 ,redgrave1 in his ,century of ,painters1 does not even mention them4 ,in his ,dictionary of ,artists less than twenty lines are devoted to them4 ,the ,plimers were born at ,wellington1 in ,shropshire1 where their father was a clockmaker1 ,nathaniel in #ageg1 ,andrew1 the younger1 six years later4 ,the elder brother exhibited at the ,academy from #aghg to #ahae1 and died in #ahbb4 ,andrew contributed from #aghf to #ahaj and again in #ahai4 ,he died at ,brighton1 in #ahcg1 aged seventy-four4 ,in the obituary of the ,gentleman's ,magazine he is described as being1 many years ago1 an eminent miniature painter in ,exeter4 ,a charming portrait of him by ,geddes now hangs in the ,scottish ,national ,gallery4 ,there is a well-known group of three young girls1 daughters of ,sir ,john ,rushout1 sometimes called the ,three ,graces1 on which much of ,andrew ,plimer's fame may be said to rest4 ,it was sold with a lot of worthless odds-and-ends at a sale at ,marlow ,place1 ,great ,marlow2 the bidding began at half a crown1 and left off at #cae4 ,the miniature was purchased1 with others1 from ,mr4 ,e4 ,joseph's collection for a very large sum1 and has now gone1 ,i believe1 to ,new ,york4 ,,john ,,smart4 ,the mention of the enhancement of price which has been of late years witnessed in the case of eighteenth-century miniatures instinctively recalls the name of ,john ,smart1 who was born at ,norwich in the same year as ,cosway was born at ,tiverton1 namely1 #agdj4 ,he must have been precocious1 for he gained the ,society of ,arts premium when only fifteen4 ,it was as a student at ,shipley's1 no doubt1 that he made the acquaintance of ,richard ,cosway1 and they became friends1 the latter artist terming ,smart1 in letters1 little ,john1 faithful ,john1 and so forth4 ,smart became a fashionable miniaturist of his day1 and1 like ,humphrey1 went to ,india1 where he remained five years4 ,his son ,john followed his example in #ahjh1 but died in ,india the following year4 ,the portraits of ,lord and ,lady ,clive given in this volume1 belonging to the ,earl of ,powis1 are probably due to ,smart's visit to the ,east4 ,his work in ,india may be identified by the letter ,i which is attached to his signature4 ,he was a large contributor to the ,exhibition of the ,incorporated ,society of ,artists1 of which he was made ,vice-president4 ,i may remark1 in passing1 that an excellent1 but little-known painter and somewhat eccentric character1 namely1 ,george ,chinnery1 ,r4,a41 also spent a great deal of time in the ,east ,indies1 where he practised his art for nearly fifty years1 dying at ,macao4 ,there is a portrait of him in the ,national ,portrait ,gallery1 painted by himself4 ,it would be difficult to over-praise the truth and beauty of ,smart's work1 although ,cosway termed him slow1 and a bit washy4 ,the last epithet sounds almost ludicrous to those who are familiar with ,smart's manner of painting1 which is finished almost to excess1 and often resembles an enamel in appearance4 ,indeed1 ,i possess a fair-complexioned man's head by him which might at first sight be taken for an enamel1 so smooth is it in execution4 ,but the absolute truth of the flesh-tints1 scrupulous accuracy of the drawing of the features1 and the harmonious beauty of the whole1 make it a work of the highest art in its way1 placing the artist in the very front rank of miniaturists4 ,moreover1 these qualities distinguish all ,smart's best work1 and stamp him1 in my opinion1 as a greater artist than ,cosway4 ,,ozias ,,humphrey4 ,by the cognoscenti1 doubtless1 the merit of ,ozias ,humphrey is recognised1 but ,i think it may be safely said that by the general public his ability is certainly not estimated at its true value4 ,merit is1 in fact1 an inadequate term for the admirable draughtsmanship and beautiful colour of this true artist4 ,the refinement1 the self-restraint and sobriety of his work1 the unobtrusive1 careful1 thorough finish1 are perhaps those qualities most likely to escape the casual observer4 ,for my own part ,i incline to place him in the front rank of ,english miniature painters1 and amongst the very finest of them all4 ,he may not have the luscious sweetness of ,cosway at his best1 but he is more uniformly excellent4 ,his technique is far superior to the over-rated ,plimer and is free from the mannerism and enamel-like smoothness of ,smart4 ,illustration3 ,a4 ,,robertson4 ,,countess ,,of ,,leitrim4 ,illustration3 ,,sir ,w4 ,c4 ,,ross1 ,r4 ,a4 ,,the ,,artist',s ,,mother4 ,humphrey worked in ,india for rather less than three years--from #aghe to #aghh2 but ill-health forced him to return to ,england4 ,in the ,british ,museum is preserved a note-book containing memoranda by him and a few sketches2 amongst other interesting entries by his own hand are particulars of portraits which he executed for ,indian princes and ,anglo-,indians4 ,these show the prices he obtained4 ,thus1 for the ,governor-,general he obtained #a1jjj rupees2 for ,mrs4 ,sturt1 #gjj2 for ,mrs4 ,hewitt1 #a1jjj2 for ,miss ,blair and ,mrs4 ,keighley1 #ecb each2 #a1jjj for a whole length of ,mrs4 ,trevor4 ,in #aghf he was owed #f1fjj rupees by native princes4 ,ozias ,humphrey was born at ,honiton1 in #agdb4 ,probably his ,west ,country origin had something to do with ,sir ,joshua ,reynolds's friendship for him1 and it was by the ,president's advice that he studied in the ,st4 ,martin's ,lane ,school4 ,after two years in ,london he returned home1 owing to the death of his father4 ,he then was placed under ,samuel ,collins1 the miniature painter1 at ,bath1 and lodged with ,lindley1 the musician4 ,here1 as a child1 the future ,mrs4 ,sheridan1 the lovely original of ,sir ,joshua's ,saint ,cecilia1 ,with looks commercing with the skies1 ,her rapt soul sitting in her eyes1 was wont to sing to ,humphrey4 ,pecuniary difficulties drove ,collins from ,bath1 and he established himself in ,dublin1 whereupon the young ,humphrey1 who was then but twenty-two1 returned to ,london and settled in ,king ,street1 ,covent ,garden1 not far from his patron1 ,sir ,joshua ,reynolds4 ,a purchase by ,george ,,iii4 from an exhibition in ,spring ,gardens1 two years later1 was probably the commencement of ,humphrey's success1 and led to the ,king commissioning him to paint his ,consort and members of the ,royal ,family4 ,at ,windsor1 by the way1 are three notable and beautiful miniatures by him of ,queen ,charlotte1 all after ,gainsborough1 two of them representing her as quite young and not a little attractive4 ,in one of them the likeness to an eminent living member of the ,royal ,family is very marked4 ,doubtless ,humphrey had ambition as an artist1 and1 accompanied by ,george ,romney1 he went to ,italy in #aggc1 as all who could afford it did in those days4 ,cumberland1 the dramatist1 celebrated the event by some indifferent verses2 of the miniature painter he says3 ,crown'd with fresh roses1 graceful ,humphrey stands1 ,while beauty grows immortal from his hands4 ,romney returned sooner than ,humphrey2 a coolness sprang up between them1 as to which ,allan ,cunningham makes ,humphrey to blame1 and rather ill-naturedly remarks that he was a gossip and an idler4 ,the same critic has observed that he1 ,humphrey1 used to call and read the newspaper to ,sir ,joshua ,reynolds1 when1 in his declining days1 the great painter's eyesight failed--a misfortune destined to overtake the miniaturist himself a few years later4 ,illustration3 ,r4 ,,dudman4 ,,william ,,cobden4 ,illustration3 ,,millicent ,,amber4 ,his wife4 ,after a four years' sojourn in ,italy ,humphrey returned to ,london and essayed oil-painting1 exhibiting whole-lengths in the ,academy1 but without much success4 ,miniature painting was his forte1 especially also the copying of other men's work in small1 and at ,knole may be seen many works of this nature4 ,,george ,,engleheart4 ,some ten or twelve years later than the three eminent miniature painters we have been discussing was born ,george ,engleheart1 whose best work may often be placed almost on a level with theirs1 but not always4 ,he frequently exaggerates the eyes in his ladies' portraits1 and his colour is often not agreeable1 the flesh tints in his men's pictures being especially sallow4 ,engleheart1 who lived at ,kew1 was of ,silesian origin2 he was a pupil of ,sir ,joshua ,reynolds1 and when only thirty-eight was made miniature painter to ,king ,george ,,iii41 with whom he was a favourite4 ,his fee book discloses that he must have painted nearly #e1jjj miniatures1 as he painted assiduously between #agge and #ahac1 in some years finishing more than #bjj per annum4 ,he contributed to the ,academy for nearly forty years4 ,for fidelity of likeness and sound workmanship ,i should incline to give preference to the male portraits of ,engleheart1 of which the example shown on p4 #bcc is a fair specimen4 ,five thousand miniatures by one artist alone1 of the fair women and brave men of his day1 and how many of them are to be seen in our national collections8 ,at ,hertford ,house1 a solitary one1 an unknown lady in a white head-dress2 in the ,national ,portrait ,gallery1 not one2 at ,kensington1 three or four1 and those not of superlative quality by any means1 the excessive size of the head compared with the figure being a marked defect in two of them4 ,,three ,,miniatures ,,of ,,the ,,cobden ,,family4 ,mrs4 ,cobden ,unwin enables me to reproduce in this volume three miniatures of the ,cobden family4 ,the father of ,richard ,cobden1 the statesman1 was ,william ,cobden1 of ,dunford1 ,heyshott1 ,midhurst1 ,sussex4 ,he was born at ,dunford on ,september #cj1 #agge1 and died at ,droxford1 ,bishop's ,waltham1 ,hants1 on ,june #ae1 #ahcc4 ,the miniature of him here reproduced is by ,w4 ,dudman4 ,dudman was a contributor to the ,royal ,academy of #agig1 and it is possible that this miniature was his sole contribution1 since it bears an inscription on the back in ,latin to the effect that it was out of the ,royal ,academy4 ,now1 inasmuch as he exhibited but once1 and that occasion was the same year as the date of the inscription ,i have just quoted1 it seems to demonstrate that this was the identical miniature shown that year1 although the name is not given in the catalogue4 ,william ,cobden married ,millicent ,amber1 whose portrait in her wedding dress is also here given4 ,the painter of this is unknown1 but the picture is very probably the work of ,dudman1 the two miniatures being much alike in colouring and treatment4 ,mrs4 ,cobden predeceased her husband by some eight years1 dying at ,west ,meon in ,hampshire in #ahbe1 aged #di4 ,illustration3 ,,unknown4 ,,master ,,cobden4 ,son of ,richard ,cobden4 ,the other member of the ,cobden family whose portrait is given here is ,richard ,brooks ,cobden1 the son of the statesman4 ,he was born at ,manchester in #ahda1 the year his father was elected member for ,stockport1 in the very midst of the ,anti-,corn-,law ,league agitation4 ,he was sent to school on the ,continent1 and died at ,weinheim1 near ,heidelberg1 on ,april #f1 #ahef1 thus being cut off on the threshold of life4 ,the miniature here shown represents him when considerably younger1 and ,i am unable to give the artist's name4 ,,xi ,,some ,,early ,,victorian ,,artists ,,chapter ,,xi ,,some ,,early ,,victorian ,,artists ,andrew ,robertson1 his pupil ,sir ,william ,ross1 ,hayter1 ,william ,newton1 and ,robert ,thorburn may be said to form a group of ,victorian miniature painters1 the last survivors of the old guard1 and men who mark a definite break in the practice of the art1 for they painted down to the arrival of the enemy1 namely photography4 ,this was a very momentous event in the history of miniature painting1 and1 at one time1 seemed destined to put an end to the practice of the art entirely1 leading ,sir ,william ,ross to say1 ,it is all up with miniature painting and ,thorburn to abandon the art altogether4 ,for years after the carte de visite was introduced the number of miniature painters grew smaller and smaller1 as did their contributions to the ,academy4 ,of the four above-named men1 ,robertson may first be dealt with4 ,andrew ,robertson was a self-taught man1 born at ,aberdeen1 in #aggg4 ,besides being an artist1 he was a first-rate violinist1 and so ardent a musician that he was director of concerts in his native town at sixteen years of age4 ,his energetic temperament led him to walk to ,london to see the exhibition of the ,royal ,academy1 in #ahja4 ,arrived in the metropolis1 he was so fortunate as to attract the notice of ,benjamin ,west1 ,president of the ,academy1 who induced the young ,scottish artist to remain in ,london1 and sat to him for his portrait4 ,west's influence at ,court at that time was great2 it led to ,royal patronage being extended to ,robertson1 who was made miniature painter to the ,duke of ,sussex4 ,his reputation was now assured1 and soon he obtained many pupils1 of whom ,sir ,william ,ross was one4 ,in #ahda1 after a career in ,london of forty years1 he retired1 when he was presented with a piece of plate1 as father of the profession4 ,he died at ,hampstead four years later4 ,he was an actively charitable and industrious man4 ,those who wish to trace his career in more detail may do so in the pages of the ,letters and ,papers of ,andrew ,robertson1 published by his daughter1 ,miss ,robertson1 in #ahie4 ,as to the works of this artist ,i do not count myself a great admirer of them1 finding his colour rather crude1 almost disagreeable4 ,there is1 however1 a certain rugged force and honesty about his portraiture which perhaps compensate for the lack of charm and refinement4 ,mr4 ,jeffery ,whitehead possesses 7or did possess7 a large collection of his works1 many of which were shown at one of ,messrs4 ,dickinson's loan exhibitions of miniatures some years ago4 ,miss ,robertson1 the writer to whom ,i have just referred has observed that it is not generally known that at the close of the eighteenth century the multitude of inferior miniatures1 and the failing powers or retirement of the eminent men then living threatened the extinction of this branch of arts4 ,the small oval miniature developed into the cabinet picture1 which culminated in the works of ,hayter1 ,newton1 and ,thorburn and the delicate and beautiful works of ,ross1 my father's pupil from the age of fourteen and his dear friend through life4 ,illustration3 ,,janet4 ,,mary ,,stuart4 7,h4,m4 the ,king47 ,as this present work is neither a history of miniature painting nor a dictionary of artists1 ,i need not attempt to enumerate the numerous inferior miniature painters to whom reference is made in the above extract2 but ,i may say a few words about some men who belong to this period1 and whose names and works are often met with by the collector4 ,earliest amongst these was ,william ,wood1 a ,suffolk man1 born #agfj4 ,his work is distinguished at any rate by harmony of colour and correct drawing4 ,he was ,president of the short-lived ,society of ,associated ,artists and exhibited at the ,academy for twenty years 7from #aghh to the year of his death71 contributing over a hundred portraits4 ,i should place ,thomas ,hargreaves1 born at ,liverpool1 in #agge1 in much the same category as ,wood4 ,his father was a woollen draper1 who articled his son as an assistant to ,sir ,thomas ,lawrence4 ,hargreaves's work bears the impress of that master's style4 ,he painted ,w4 ,e4 ,gladstone and his sister as children4 ,then ,henry ,edridge1 who was born in #agfi1 and lived to see ,george ,,iv4 on the throne1 should not be overlooked4 ,his early works are on ivory1 but he is best known by his spirited and refined drawings on paper1 the figures in which are slightly touched in1 whilst the heads are carefully finished2 good examples of them may be seen at the ,victoria and ,albert ,museum4 ,he became an ,associate of the ,academy1 and his advancement in life is said to have been due to the influence of ,sir ,joshua ,reynolds1 who allowed him to copy his paintings in miniature2 but the drawings by ,edridge to which ,i have just made reference do not show the influence of ,sir ,joshua4 ,he died in #ahba1 from grief at the loss of a favourite daughter1 aged seventeen1 and an only son4 ,between the years #aghf and #ahba there were no less than #bfj examples of ,edridge's work shown on the walls of the ,academy4 ,john ,downman was a contemporary of the foregoing and also a fellow-associate of the ,academy2 but his portraits1 though delicate and minute1 hardly come under the definition of miniatures4 ,john ,linnell1 the landscape artist1 was a miniature painter at the outset of his career1 as was ,sir ,henry ,raeburn4 ,mrs4 ,mee1 born ,anne ,foldsome1 is a lady miniaturist who is fully represented in the ,royal ,collection at ,windsor1 having been patronised by ,george ,,iv4 when ,prince of ,wales4 ,i do not like her work1 but all credit must be given to her for her exertions to support a widowed mother and eight brothers and sisters4 ,illustration3 ,s4 ,,cooper4 ,,the ,,duke ,,of ,,monmouth4 7,h4,m4 the ,king47 ,alfred ,edward ,chalon 7not to be confounded with ,h4 ,b4 ,chalon the animal painter1 nor with ,john ,james ,chalon1 ,r4,a47 besides being a witty and popular man1 was a thorough artist1 as his spirited full-lengths1 dashed in with great freedom1 attest1 his treatment of draperies being particularly skilful4 ,he came of an old ,french family1 and was born at ,geneva1 in #ahag4 ,he was made water-colour painter to ,queen ,victoria1 and elected a full member of the ,academy1 to the exhibitions of which he contributed no less than #djj works4 ,and now1 by way of concluding my remarks on ,english miniature painters1 ,i turn to the group of men to which ,miss ,robertson refers1 and the particular style of work they introduced2 for they were1 she alleges1 the originators of the cabinet pictures in vogue at the beginning of the nineteenth century and in the early ,victorian days4 ,miss ,robertson does not make it clear to which ,hayter she refers 7for there were two1 father and son1 to whom her remarks might perhaps apply74 ,i conclude she means ,charles ,hayter1 who exhibited for nearly half a century2 his last contribution was in #ahcb4 ,in spite of his writings on perspective1 and the alleged correctness of his likenesses1 ,hayter's work is feeble and uninteresting4 ,sir ,william ,newton is an artist about whom opinions differ1 the late ,dr4 ,propert1 for example1 hardly having a good word to say for him4 ,in his own day1 however1 ,newton1 who was the son of an engraver1 and descended from a brother of ,sir ,isaac1 was a thoroughly successful man4 ,he was made miniature painter-in-ordinary to ,william ,,iv41 whom he painted a dozen times or more4 ,he was knighted on the accession of ,queen ,victoria1 in #ahcg1 and was the first person who received that distinction in the new reign4 ,sir ,william became a well-known figure in ,london society1 and took a leading position in the musical world4 ,for fifty years he contributed nearly the whole number of works allowed to ,academicians4 ,at one time membership of the ,academy was not open to miniature painters2 after a long struggle ,sir ,william obtained a withdrawal of the restriction1 although he would not allow his own name to be brought forward for the honour4 ,he lived to be eighty-four1 dying in #ahfi4 ,in ,robert ,thorburn1 ,a4,r4,a41 we have an instance of a rapid rise4 ,born at ,dumfries1 in #ahah1 he had painted the ,queen1 the ,prince ,consort1 and two of the ,royal children by the time he was thirty years of age4 ,his successful career as a miniature painter was cut short by the advent of photography1 but not before he had painted many of the aristocracy4#d ,footnote #d3 ,in my larger works on miniature painting ,i have given lists of his sitters1 compiled from information kindly afforded by ,mrs4 ,thorburn4 ,the change was so great that he abandoned the practice of his earlier art1 and took to painting portraits in oils1 but with less success4 ,he died at ,tunbridge1 in #ahhe4 ,in spite of a certain monotony in his flesh painting1 ,i greatly admire his miniatures1 which are marked by refinement1 whilst the composition is graceful and sometimes dignified4 ,his work was appreciated in ,paris1 where he was awarded a gold medal in #ahee4 ,illustration3 ,,queen ,,charlotte4 7,h4,m4 the ,king47 ,illustration3 ,,james ,,ii4 7,h4,m4 the ,king47 ,like ,sir ,william ,newton and ,sir ,william ,ross 7to whom ,i shall refer presently71 ,thorburn used large surfaces of ivory for his portraits1 or cabinet pictures as ,miss ,robertson terms them3 this was managed by taking the circumference of a trunk of ivory1 making it flat by great pressure1 laying it down on a panel and adding strips on the top1 bottom1 and sides4 ,thus pictures of considerable size with elaborate backgrounds could be painted and correspondingly high prices obtained4 ,i now come to a distinguished and excellent man who rounds off a period in the art we have under discussion4 ,sir ,william ,charles ,ross was the last of the old school of miniature painters4 ,of ,scottish origin1 he was born in ,london1 in #agid4 ,both his father and mother were portrait painters1 the former being gardener to the ,duke of ,marlborough4 ,young ,william ,ross made an early start in life1 for1 according to ,miss ,robertson1 he became a pupil of her father's when he 7,ross7 was only fourteen4 ,in #ahji1 when he was but fifteen1 he contributed three works to the ,academy and had already won medals at the ,society of ,arts and in the ,academy ,schools4 ,queen ,victoria sat to him in #ahcg1 and he painted the whole of the ,royal ,family of his day as well as the ,kings and ,queens of ,belgium and ,portugal1 c4 ,his miniatures are said to have exceeded two thousand in number4 ,after his death1 in #ahfj1 an exhibition of his works was opened at the ,society of ,arts2 the catalogue 7which ,i have printed elsewhere7 is likely to be of much interest in the future1 and shows most clearly the commanding position ,ross occupied in his profession4 ,he painted ,miss ,angela ,burdett-,coutts 7as she then was7 in #ahdf2 it is here shown1 and must be reckoned one of his finest works4 ,the ,baroness owned several other important examples of ,sir ,william4 ,at ,windsor there are a great many1 and in the exhibition to which ,i have just referred ,queen ,victoria is given as the owner of over forty pieces4 ,in judging of the artistic value of ,ross we must remember that he had to contend with the difficulties imposed by a thoroughly tasteless style of costume1 according to present standards4 ,the period covered by his work coincides with that of the very lowest depth of ,philistinism in art1 costume1 and architecture which our annals disclose4 ,his colour was too florid to suit some tastes1 his palette being set somewhat la ,rubens1 but his flesh-tints are fresh and delightful1 and when time has mellowed them will probably be reckoned of great beauty4 ,his composition1 draperies1 background1 and accessories were treated with much skill4 ,he had a brother1 ,hugh1 who was also a miniature painter of ability4 ,illustration3 ,r4 ,,cosway1 ,r4,a4 ,,georgina1 ,,duchess ,,of ,,devonshire4 7,h4,m4 the ,king47 ,,xii ,,royal ,,and ,,private ,,collections ,,chapter ,,xii ,,royal ,,and ,,private ,,collections ,as in works by the old masters1 so also this country is extremely rich in old miniatures4 ,i am speaking now of private collections4 ,of course1 by the very nature of the case1 the majority of these are comparatively inaccessible1 not that their owners are illiberal in furnishing a sight of their treasures to those who are interested1 and can furnish reasonable credentials for admission to a sight of them1 but these miniatures are scattered all over the land1 and to see them demands time1 trouble1 and expense4 ,in the restricted space at my command in this book it is futile to attempt to describe with fulness all the riches of those private collections which ,i have been privileged to study4 ,there are1 however1 a few collections of such paramount importance in connection with our subject that they cannot be passed by1 and every one claiming to feel an intelligent interest in the subject of old miniatures must wish to know something1 at any rate1 of the nature and the extent of these private collections to which ,i have just referred4 ,,the ,,royal ,,collection ,let us take first the ,royal ,collection at ,windsor ,castle1 which comprises some thousand examples1 many remarkable for their intrinsic beauty as well as their historic interest4 ,perhaps ,i ought to have put the latter first1 as being the principal source of interest belonging to them4 ,but that would be to look at them too much with the eye of the historical student4 ,were they all portraits of comparative nobodies1 or even unknown persons1 they would yet be a most delightful1 varied1 and fascinating collection4 ,as ,sir ,richard ,holmes1 the ex-royal-librarian1 who has written about them from time to time1 has pointed out1 the collection has one peculiar interest1 namely that in nearly every case these miniatures remain in the custody of the descendants of those for whom they were originally painted1 and thus present an almost unbroken series of authentic portraits of the ,royal ,family from the time of ,henry ,,viii4 to the present day4 ,the fact that this unique collection goes back1 as the reader has just been reminded1 to ,tudor days1 leads us to expect that we may find some work by ,holbein1 perhaps the greatest name in all the annals of the art4 ,nor shall we be disappointed4 ,six examples there are by the great ,hans1 among them ,katherine ,howard1 and the two sons of ,charles ,brandon1 ,duke of ,suffolk1 portraits possessing a pathetic interest1 seeing that the originals both died on the same day from the sweating sickness4 ,that was in #aeea4 ,mr4 ,ralph ,wornum's description of them may be worth giving4 ,illustration3 ,,unknown4 ,,henry1 ,,cardinal ,,of ,,york4 ,,prince ,,charles ,,edward4 7,h4,r4,h4 the ,duchess of ,albany47 ,illustration3 ,,petitot4 ,,mme4 ,,de ,,montespan4 ,illustration3 ,,from ,,an ,,enamel ,,by ,h4 ,,bone4 ,,mary ,,stuart4 7,burdett-,coutts ,collection47 ,henry ,brandon1 ,duke of ,suffolk1 in a black cap with white feather1 and a black coat with green sleeves1 blond hair cropped all round2 he is leaning his left arm on a table1 on which is written1 ',etatis sv #e1 #f sepdem1 ,anno #aece4' ,blue ground painted on the back of the ace or three of clubs4 ,the other is his brother ,charles ,brandon1 ,duke of ,suffolk1 in a grey and red coat with black cuffs2 his shirt collar is embroidered with black thread round the outer edge4 ,blue ground4 ,on a tablet is inscribed ',ann #aeda1 etatis sv #aj ,marci4' ,this is painted on the back of a king4 ,both are of the same size1 one and eleven-twelfths of an inch in diameter4 ,they are said to have been given to ,charles ,i4 by ,sir ,henry ,vane1 and both are entered as ,holbein's work in ,van der ,doort's catalogue4 ,they are freely1 firmly1 and yet elaborately executed4 ,there are two of ,henry ,,viii41 one with a beard1 in a black cap and black ribbonds about his neck1 in an ash-coloured tissue suit in a fur cloak1 his name and age in golden letters written on it4 ,being also one of the number which were given to the ,king by ,lord ,suffolk4 ,this description is a quotation from the catalogue made by ,van der ,doort1 who was custodian of the pictures to ,charles ,i41 and that monarch is meant by the reference to the ,king4 ,the same authority describes another and lesser picture of ,henry ,,viii43 ,without a beard1 also in a black cap and a little golden chain about his neck1 in an ash-coloured wrought doublet in a furred cloak with crimson sleeves4 ,yet another ,holbein is the portrait of ,lady ,audley1 daughter of the ,treasurer of the ,chamber to ,henry1 whose portrait in red chalk is amongst the drawings by ,holbein preserved at ,windsor4 ,these miniatures are all circular1 and measure from one and three-quarter inches to two and a quarter inches in diameter4 ,holbein's pupil1 ,nicholas ,hilliard1 is well represented at ,windsor2 the valuable catalogue of ,charles ,i4's collection which ,i have quoted above contains references to fourteen by him1 including1 says ,sir ,richard ,holmes1 those of ,queen ,elizabeth4 ,but these last1 unfortunately1 are no longer to be found4 ,it is interesting to compare the renderings of ,henry ,,viii4 which ,holbein and ,hilliard respectively present4 ,amongst the most noteworthy of the ,hilliards now at ,windsor are four which were probably painted by ,royal command1 namely ,henry ,,vii41 ,henry ,,viii41 ,edward ,,vi41 and ,jane ,seymour4 ,these were originally attached to a golden jewel1 enamelled on one side with a representation of the ,battle of ,bosworth ,field and the roses of ,york and ,lancaster on the other4 ,the miniature of ,henry ,,vii4 must clearly have been painted either from imagination or from some earlier picture1 since it is dated #aeji1 whereas ,hilliard was not born till #aedg4 ,the other portraits1 too1 represent the originals when it would have been impossible for ,hilliard to have painted them4 ,among the miniatures of ,king ,charles ,i4's progenitors which ,van der ,doort describes is one which hung with seven others in his own chamber1 and it is one of surpassing interest4 ,he thus describes it3 ,no #bc4 ,item4 ,done upon the right light1 the second picture of ,queen ,mary of ,scotland upon a blew-grounded square card1 dressed in her hair1 in a carnation habit laced with small gold lace and a string of pearls about her neck1 in a little plain falling band1 she putting upon her second finger her wedding ring4 ,supposed to be done by the said ,jennet4 ,length three inches1 breadth two inches4 ,the claim to authenticity which this portrait thus possesses is obviously very high1 and ,sir ,richard ,holmes asserts there is no portrait of the unhappy queen which has so good a pedigree as this4 ,we will not stop to discuss the complex and difficult question of the true portraiture of ,mary ,queen of ,scots4 ,having recently published an exhaustive folio devoted to this topic1 a work containing more portraits of ,mary1 good1 bad and doubtful1 than any with which ,i am acquainted1 ,i may refer the reader to its pages for the further elucidation of this fascinating problem4 ,i may1 however1 mention that the said ,jennet1 by whom this portrait is supposed to be done1 was of course the well-known ,janet1 otherwise called ,franois ,clouet1 ,court painter in ,france at the time of ,queen ,mary's betrothal to the ,dauphin1 whose portrait1 by the same artist and from the ,royal ,collection1 ,i am able to show4 ,clouet was one of a family of limners whose work was the best of the day1 and his drawings should be seen and studied by all who wish to realise how admirable that work was in expression and character4 ,it is to be seen to the best advantage in the ,print ,department of the ,bibliothque ,nationale1 ,paris1 and also in the large series now preserved in the ,palace of ,chantilly1 the ancestral home of the ,conds4 ,by ,hilliard ,i do not recall anything else very remarkable at ,windsor1 unless a small circular picture of a girl wearing the roses of ,york and ,lancaster in her hair1 which came from the ,sackville ,bale ,collection and is said to represent ,lady ,jane ,grey1 is his work4 ,but in the works of the ,olivers1 both father and son1 the ,royal ,collection is rich4 ,among portraits by ,isaac ,oliver there is the extremely interesting and elaborate miniature1 before referred to1 representing ,sir ,philip ,sidney seated under a tree1 presumably at his birthplace1 ,penshurst1 with a background of the formal ,italian garden then so much in vogue 7see p4 #bie74 ,as this famous scholar1 statesman1 and soldier died in #aehf1 the work must be a comparatively early example of ,isaac ,oliver1 who would be under thirty years of age at that time4 ,a piece probably much later is one of no less importance1 namely a portrait of ,prince ,henry ,frederick1 eldest son of ,james ,i41 that sweet royal bud and hope of the ,puritans who died in #afab4 ,an entry in the catalogue of ,van der ,doort is as follows3 ,imprimis4 ,done upon the right light4 ,the biggest limned picture that was made of ,prince ,henry1 being limned in a set laced ruff and gilded armour and a landskip1 wherein are some soldiers and tents1 in a square frame with a shutting glass over it4 ,done by ,isaac ,oliver4 ,length five and a quarter inches1 breadth four inches4 ,illustration3 ,,peter ,,oliver1 ,,after ,,sir ,a4 ,,van ,,dyck4 ,,sir ,,kenelm ,,digby1 ,,wife1 ,,and ,,sons4 7,burdett-,coutts ,collection47 ,worthy to be ranked with these is another large miniature of ,charles ,,ii41 which is even more highly finished than the two masterpieces1 viz41 ,monck and ,monmouth1 which ,i described in ,chapter ,,vii4--that is to say1 it is more finished throughout1 because painting--in the head only was a characteristic of ,samuel ,cooper4 ,probably he found the painting of the drapery1 background1 and details somewhat irksome1 and having got the head and the character of the portrait1 was often wont to leave the completion of the picture until a more convenient season4 ,be the reason what it may1 there is no doubt that several of the finest things that he ever painted are left in the unfinished state of which ,walpole has complained in his ,anecdotes of ,painting4 ,there is1 however1 another miniature in the ,royal ,collection by this great artist which may be appropriately mentioned here1 and that is a portrait of the man who sent the unfortunate ,mr4 ,crofts to the scaffold4 ,the cold1 implacable nature of ,james ,,ii4 is admirably and most forcefully suggested in this superb miniature4 ,it represents him in armour when he was probably ,duke of ,york1 and may have been painted after his return from fighting the ,dutch off the ,texel4 ,but the riches of this collection1 numbering as it does not less than a thousand examples1 are such that we must pass on4 ,for several decades following the death of ,cooper there was comparatively little native-born miniature art of first-rate importance produced in this country1 but about the middle of the eighteenth century a bright particular star appeared on the horizon in the person of ,richard ,cosway1 and in the works of this eccentric but highly talented miniature painter the ,royal ,collection is rich4 ,the portrait of the celebrated ,duchess of ,devonshire1 which will be recognised as an extremely characteristic example of the master1 is one of the most beautiful things in its way in the ,royal ,library1 and is here given4 ,as ,i have devoted a chapter to the works of ,cosway1 ,i need not dwell further upon the examples by him at ,windsor4 ,there is a good deal of work by another artist1 a contemporary of ,cosway1 namely1 ,ozias ,humphrey1 to be seen here4 ,humphrey's style of painting is far less showy than ,cosway's1 but it has a completeness1 a perfection of finish1 repose1 and beautiful colour1 qualities which combine to give his art great and1 to my mind1 permanent charm4 ,a good illustration of this may1 ,i think1 be found in his rendering of the somewhat homely charms of ,queen ,charlotte1 here given4 ,in so large a collection1 brought together1 ,i believe1 through the initiative of the late ,prince ,consort1 and gathered into a whole from all the royal palaces1 there are1 of course1 works by artists too numerous to mention here4 ,but reference should be made to the large number of examples of ,sir ,william ,ross4 ,the ,crown possesses at least fifty works by him1 many of large size1 as was the fashion of his day4 ,in the year #ahfj1 ,queen ,victoria owned over forty examples1 which comprised the ,english ,royal ,family and ,queen ,adelaide1 besides the ,queen of the ,belgians1 the ,king and ,queen of ,portugal1 ,louis ,philippe1 and other foreign royalties1 for ,ross was the most fashionable portrait painter of his day4 ,,private ,,collections ,rivalling1 in general interest1 the ,royal ,collection at ,windsor is that formed by the ,duke of ,buccleuch1 now preserved at ,montagu ,house1 in ,whitehall4 ,those who have been privileged to visit this collection1 or who may remember it when it was shown in the rooms of the ,royal ,academy at the ,winter ,exhibition in #ahgi1 must admit its extraordinary value1 interest1 and importance1 alike from the artistic and from the historical point of view4 ,it presents1 in fact1 a microcosm of ,english history1 from the middle of ,henry ,,viii4's reign down to the closing years of the period of the ,restoration4 ,we may see the vera effigies of most of the leading characters of the times which are synchronous with the work of ,holbein down to the death of ,samuel ,cooper1 in #afgb4 ,the present writer well remembers of this exhibition that it left three very distinct impressions on his mind1 the force of which has been but deepened by further acquaintance with the collection and by the process of time4 ,from it he first gained some idea of the richness of this country in historical art of this nature4 ,secondly1 he realised the high quality1 and indeed supreme artistic value1 of much of the work it contained2 and1 thirdly1 the vivid illustration it furnished of the history of the times contemporary with the artists represented4 ,these considerations lead him to regard old miniatures as valuable adjuncts to historical research1 and as worthy of careful and serious study4 ,in the catalogue of the exhibition which ,i have mentioned we find amongst the contributions of the ,duke of ,buccleuch some hundred and fifty pieces by several of the most distinguished miniature painters this country has produced--for example1 some half-dozen ,holbeins1 a score of ,hilliards1 as many ,isaac ,olivers1 and more ,coopers2 not to speak of rare men like ,bettes1 ,dixon1 and ,john ,hoskins1 junr4 ,setting aside the ,holbeins1 which1 however1 call for special notice on account of the rarity of the master as a miniature painter1 the works of ,samuel ,cooper claim pre-eminence2 and one of them1 namely1 the portrait of ,oliver ,cromwell1 to which ,i have referred before1 is regarded by some good judges as perhaps the very finest thing that the great limner has left us of his work4 ,i am indebted to the ,duke of ,buccleuch for the information that it was purchased through the agency of ,messrs4 ,colnaghi1 from a descendant of the ,protector1 namely1 a ,mr4 ,henry ,cromwell ,frankland1 of ,chichester1 who inherited it through a daughter of ,lady ,elizabeth ,claypole4 ,a writer in the ,athenum of ,september #aj1 #ahih1 states that this miniature is one of two of ,oliver ,cromwell1 which1 being painted at ,hampton ,court1 were snatched from the artist by the ,protector1 indignant because he found ,cooper making a copy of the original his ,highness had sat for4 ,lady ,falconbridge sic inherited one or both of her father's captures1 which1 in the course of a divided inheritance1 parted company for about a century and a half1 only to be reunited at ,montagu ,house4 ,illustration3 ,,isaac ,,oliver4 ,,sir ,,philip ,,sidney4 7,h4,m4 the ,king47 ,there is a very beautiful miniature of this ,elizabeth ,claypole herself 7she was1 it will be remembered1 the second and favourite daughter of ,cromwell7 in the ,buccleuch ,collection2 and in the same connection may be mentioned the portrait of ,john ,milton1 which ,i have dealt with in the chapter upon ,cooper4 ,the beauty and importance of the ,coopers should not blind us to the interest of some of the ,hilliards--for instance1 the portrait of ,alicia ,brandon1 the wife of ,nicholas ,hilliard1 and a portrait of ,drake1 dated #aeha1 painted probably just after his return from circumnavigating the world4 ,the great seaman's hair is dark brown1 his moustache and beard a light auburn2 he looks manly vigour personified4 ,i have spoken of ,dixon as being a rare painter2 there are1 however1 at least seven or eight by him in the collection ,i am now describing4 ,he is not mentioned by ,redgrave1 it may be noted in passing2 but he must have stood high in ,court favour in his day1 seeing that ,charles ,,ii41 ,madame ,hughes1 ,mary ,davis1 the ,duchess of ,portsmouth1 the ,duke of ,monmouth1 and ,prince ,rupert were among his sitters1 and their portraits are to be found in this collection4 ,i pass on to another private collection also remarkable for the number and the superb quality of its examples of ,samuel ,cooper4 ,it is that of the ,duke of ,portland4 ,the ,welbeck ,collection is largely a family one1 and so far as ,i know was never made as a collection pure and simple4 ,but it contains1 nevertheless1 amongst the portraits that ,i shall proceed to mention1 some of the very finest examples of ,cooper with which ,i am acquainted4 ,four of these struck me as especially noteworthy1 namely1 ,richard1 ,earl of ,arran1 ,john1 ,earl of ,clare1 ,sir ,freschevile ,holles1 and ,colonel ,sidney1 afterwards ,lord ,romney4 ,the latest of these works is dated #affh1 four years before the painter's death4 ,cooper attained no greater age than sixty-three1 and this may account for the absence of any discoverable decadence1 even in his latest works4 ,another marked feature in this collection1 which is a large one1 is the predominance of ,laurence ,cross and ,bernard ,lens2 but ,cosway and his school are scarcely1 if at all1 represented4 ,another ducal collection1 namely that at ,belvoir1 is important in respect of the historical miniatures it contains1 and not the least valuable of these are miniatures of ,sir ,walter ,raleigh and his son--he who was killed in the attack on the ,spanish settlement on the ,cayenne ,river1 the story of which1 and the beautiful enamel case which contained them1 with its initials of ,walter and ,elizabeth ,raleigh1 is to be found in my book ,miniature ,painters1 ,british and ,foreign1 which also contains particulars of many private collections1 described at considerable length and illustrated4 ,the ,burdett-,coutts ,collection is one of exceptional interest1 inasmuch as it contains some of ,horace ,walpole's most treasured pieces4 ,it is especially rich in the work of ,peter ,oliver1 and hardly less so in that of ,petitot fils4 ,by the kindness of the late ,baroness1 this important collection was shown in the galleries of ,messrs4 ,dickinson1 in ,new ,bond ,street1 when the group of the ,digby family1 after ,van ,dyck1 and the separate miniatures of ,sir ,kenelm and his handsome wife1 all the work of the younger ,oliver1 were especially admired2 these are all shown in this volume4 ,the ,petitots1 as ,i have said1 are remarkable1 and the two examples here given were highly valued by the dilettante owner of ,strawberry ,hill4 ,of the ,henrietta1 ,duchess of ,orleans1 as beautiful as she was ill-fated1 he says it is a very very large and capital one1 exquisitely laboured4 ,on the back of the ,james ,,ii41 which represents him as ,duke of ,york1 ,walpole has written with his own hand a present from the ,duke to his mistress ,mrs4 ,godfrey2 and in his ,anecdotes he says of this enamel1 freely painted1 though highly finished1 and ,i suppose done in ,france4 ,we find ourselves sometimes at variance with ,horace ,walpole's judgment1 as when1 for example1 he extols ,lady ,anne ,damer to the skies1 and refuses the rank of a painter to ,william ,hogarth6 ,but as to his estimate of these two magnificent specimens of ,petitot's art there can be but one opinion1 and it is one which coincides with that of their former owner4 ,amongst the numerous ,petitots in the ,jones ,collection at the ,victoria and ,albert ,museum1 to which ,i shall refer again1 ,i can recall nothing to surpass1 if indeed there be anything to equal them2 and it is remarkable what astounding advance has been made in the value of these works of art1 some of which fetch1 it is literally true to say1 as many hundreds as they did single pounds only sixty-five years ago4 ,those of my readers who are wont to observe the prices realised at auction nowadays by fine old miniatures may be interested to compare them with those obtained at the famous ,strawberry ,hill sale4 ,in my ,miniature ,painters1 ,british and ,foreign1 ,i have printed the catalogue of ,horace ,walpole's miniatures1 and given the prices they realised and the names of their purchasers4 ,the curious in such matters will find many interesting notes and illustrations in the pages of this catalogue2 e4g41 the information given as to the provenance of the two ,petitots just described is gleaned from ,george ,robbin's catalogue1 and ,i may add1 from the same source1 that the ,james ,,ii4 fetched #ge guineas4 ,it had been bought at the sale of the property of ,mrs4 ,dunch 7who was the daughter of ,mrs4 ,godfrey72 it fetched less than the ,henrietta1 which realised #abe guineas4 ,we learn that ,walpole purchased it of ,c4 ,f4 ,zincke1 the distinguished enamel painter1 who had it in his possession for a long while1 and kept it as a study4 ,,xiii ,,public ,,collections ,,chapter ,,xiii ,,public ,,collections ,the private collections of the ,united ,kingdom1 scattered as they are all over the country1 are by the nature of things not readily accessible to the general reader4 ,but with the public galleries the case is different2 and in ,london there exist1 within half-an-hour's walk of each other1 two very considerable and instructive collections which may be seen1 studied1 and compared at leisure4 ,i refer1 of course1 to those of ,hertford ,house and the ,victoria and ,albert ,museum at ,south ,kensington4 ,and here1 in passing1 ,i should like to emphasise the great practical value of the comparisons which such visits enable us to make4 ,to see1 side by side1 miniatures of various periods and by various masters is more informing than any amount of printed description4 ,the three hundred miniatures1 or thereabouts1 which the ,wallace ,collection contains1 are extremely valuable1 not only intrinsically1 but because they present some reliable portraiture of great interest1 and1 especially1 because they are the only examples of many eminent miniature painters which are to be found in any public galleries in this country4 ,as with oil paintings1 so with miniatures2 this collection fills lacun4 ,the ,national ,gallery is remarkably--one might say unaccountably--deficient in the ,french ,school1 especially of the eighteenth century 7the nineteenth1 as we all know1 is hardly represented at all71 whilst the magnificent collection got together by the third and fourth ,marquis of ,hertford and ,sir ,richard ,wallace1 and now shown at ,hertford ,house1 is rich in these masters--so rich as almost to provoke the envy of our neighbours across the ,channel4 ,it may be well to inform such of my readers as are not familiar with ,hertford ,house that the miniatures are all to be found in three double cases in ,gallery ,no4 ,,xi4 ,the light1 admitted by a side window1 is not over good2 this window faces north1 and the best time to see the miniatures is in the morning4 ,the arrangement1 roughly speaking1 is as follows3-- ,in case ,b are placed miniatures of the sixteenth1 seventeenth1 and eighteenth centuries4 ,in case ,c1 miniatures chiefly of the ,napoleonic period and the ,restoration4 ,in case ,d1 miniatures of the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries1 and a large number of small copies after ,franois ,boucher1 with similar work by ,charlier and others of the ,french school of the middle of the eighteenth century4 ,thus1 in the ,wallace ,collection we can study at our leisure a valuable series of works by several of the best ,french miniature painters1 some of whom are not to be found represented in any other public gallery that ,i am aware of1 even in ,paris4 ,there is1 besides1 a not inconsiderable number of works by good ,english artists1 which afford instructive means of comparison1 besides being interesting in themselves4 ,viewing1 then1 the collection from the various standpoints which ,i have enumerated1 let us see what it reveals4 ,we may here dispense with any consideration of the pecuniary value2 that is a commercial view of the subject1 one difficult to determine1 and foreign to the object of this book4 ,suffice it to say that the monetary value of many of them is very great4 ,take the ,isabeys and ,halls1 for example2 a miniature by the latter1 shown at the ,exhibition of ,eighteenth ,century ,art in ,paris in #aijf1 at the ,bibliothque ,nationale1 fetched at the ,mlbacher ,sale no less than #fj1jjj francs1 or #b1djj4 ,illustration3 ,,janet4 ,,the ,,dauphin4 7,h4,m4 the ,king47 ,illustration3 ,,chatillon4 ,,napoleon ,i4 7,duke of ,wellington47 ,the collection at ,hertford ,house is especially rich in portraits belonging to the ,napoleonic period4 ,many of the principal personages of the ,first ,empire may be found in case ,c4 ,thus we have ,madame ,letizia ,ramolino1 the mother of ,napoleon ,i4--,madame ,mre1 as she was called2 two or three portraits of ,josphine1 notably one by ,isabey in a ,court dress of white and gold2 four of ,marie ,louise1 ,archduchess of ,austria and second wife of the ,emperor4 ,there is also one of her father1 which bears on the back this curious inscription1 ,madame1 disait l',empereur ,napolon l',impratrice ,marie ,louise1 votre pre n'est qu'une ganache1 a term which may be very closely rendered by our ,english word booby4 ,there are several portraits of the ,king of ,rome1 the son of ,napoleon and ,louise1 who was living1 as one is apt to forget1 as late as #ahcb4 ,the sisters of the ,emperor1 ,pauline and ,caroline1 both are here1 as are his brothers ,jrome and ,louis4 ,finally1 of the ,emperor himself there are over a dozen--as ,general ,bonaparte in #agif2 in ,academic attire2 and in ,court costume1 wearing in his hat the golden laurels of victory4 ,of this period of his career is the miniature by ,isabey1 in which he is wearing the ,imperial robes and emblems of victory as before4 ,this miniature by ,isabey is a remarkable presentment of the man and a masterpiece of the artist4 ,i have described these numerous ,napoleonic portraits in some detail because many of them are not only remarkable as specimens of ,french miniature painting of the period1 but they also bear out1 ,i think1 what ,i have said in the preceding pages as to the value of such works and the instruction they afford4 ,but the interest of the ,wallace ,collection of ,miniatures is not confined to the personages who crossed the stage of ,french history during the ,first ,empire4 ,here we may see also ,louis ,,xv4 and ,marie ,leczinska1 and two or three of their daughters1 ,louis ,,xvi4 and ,marie ,antoinette1 ,louis ,,xvii4 and ,louis ,,xviii4 ,of the latter there are three or four portraits2 of ,madame de ,pompadour one of exceptional beauty 7,no4 #hi71 signed ,f4 ,boucher4 ,it need hardly be said that ,franois ,boucher is not generally recognised as a miniaturist1 the breadth and purely decorative nature of much of his work being as far removed as it is possible to imagine from the minute finish of a miniature4 ,this fact1 it may be1 has led ,mr4 ,claude ,phillips1 the ,curator of the ,gallery1 to remark upon this example1 and to surmise that it represents a wholly exceptional effort made for his 7,boucher's7 patroness4 ,strange to say1 ,madame ,du ,barry is unrepresented2 on the other hand1 ,mlle4 ,du ,th and ,la ,camargo1 the famous dancer1 whom ,watteau painted1 will be found4 ,i have given this prominence to the ,french historical characters as compared with ,english or other celebrities since1 from this point of view1 there is no comparison to be made between the importance of the two groups4 ,a ,cooper and a ,flatman of ,charles ,,ii41 a copy by ,bone 7after ,lely probably71 of ,charles's sister-in-law1 ,anne ,hyde2 an enamel by ,w4 ,grimaldi1 copied from a contemporary portrait of ,john ,churchill1 first ,duke of ,marlborough2 ,mrs4 ,fitzherbert1 by ,r4 ,cosway2 and two portraits of ,wellington by ,isabey may be said to sum up the most notable works coming under the category of ,english historical characters4 ,in this connection there remains1 however1 one miniature of such importance1 if its ascription be correct1 as to merit a special reference4 ,it is ,no4 #ic described as a portrait of ,hans ,holbein the ,younger4 ,it is inscribed ,,hh4 ,a ,n ,o4 #aedc ,etatis su #de4 ,the ,duke of ,buccleuch possesses a similar one1 the only variation perceptible being a subtle difference in the expression1 and that in the ,montagu ,house example there is a little more seen of the painter's left hand4 ,each is on a card2 that at ,hertford ,house may be thus described3 ,head and bust of a man of middle age1 in a black dress1 open at the neck1 and a black cap4 ,he holds a pencil in his right hand and looks with a searching and rather sour expression at the spectator4 ,the portrait is about one and a half inches circular1 and has a blue background4 ,the beard and moustache are dark and somewhat sparse1 the flesh-tones flat1 and inclined to brickiness in colour4 ,but ,i am disposed to consider the distinguishing feature of the ,wallace ,collection of ,miniatures to be the number and importance of the works of ,isabey and of ,hall shown therein4 ,by ,jean ,baptiste ,isabey there are no less than twenty-seven examples1 by ,pierre ,adolphe ,hall nearly a score1 by the talented ,j4 ,b4 ,augustin1 and by the comparatively little known ,mansion1 nine each2 not to speak of ,saint1 ,dumont1 and of ,sicardi4 ,there is one specimen which the ,curator apparently does not hesitate to ascribe to ,fragonard1 whose miniatures he justly says are of extreme rarity4 ,here1 then1 we have a feast both rich and varied4 ,of the ,isabeys we shall find that the most important pieces are dated between #ahaa and #ahca4 ,they are treated with a breadth and freedom of handling which make them resemble water-colour sketches1 but when looked at closely they will be found to have careful detail in the features1 and to be miniatures strictly speaking4 ,the ,halls are characteristic and good1 the ,mansions exceptionally fine4 ,i have dealt with both these artists in the final chapter of this book4 ,illustration3 ,,anonymous4 ,,portrait ,,of ,,mirabeau4 7,m4 ,gabriel ,marceau47 ,illustration3 ,p4 ,a4 ,,hall4 ,,portrait ,,of ,a ,,lady4 7,mme4 de ,b47 ,it would be impossible to examine here the hundreds of miniatures in this collection4 ,they deserve the closest attention1 and should be carefully studied with the aid of a magnifying glass4 ,,the ,,victoria ,,and ,,albert ,,museum4 ,having elsewhere in this volume expressed regret at the absence of any national collection of miniatures in this country1 ,i refrain from giving utterance to disappointment again4 ,but if there is one place more than another where such feelings are aroused it is at ,south ,kensington4 ,true there are miniatures there1 but only in sufficient numbers and1 ,i may say1 of sufficient quality1 to whet the appetite for more4 ,apart from the ,jones ,collection1 which may be dealt with separately1 the miniatures in the ,victoria and ,albert ,museum are rather disappointing1 and that in spite of a few examples of interest4 ,the ,national ,collection preserves all its riches of art of this nature in four cases1 which stand in the ,sheepshanks ,gallery4 ,the catalogue has1 ,i believe1 been out of print for years1 certainly there is none now obtainable1 a circumstance very much to be deplored1 to say the least of it4 ,another matter of regret is that the miniatures cannot be seen properly by the artificial light with which the galleries are provided2 seeing that the museum is open until ten p4m4 three or four nights in the week1 many must feel it tantalising to have no catalogue1 and insufficient and unsatisfactory lighting4 ,taking in a rough chronological order what is there shown1 we shall find a faded ,queen ,elizabeth or two1 of the usual type1 by ,hilliard1 and a fine ,oliver of unwonted freshness and brilliancy1 due1 no doubt1 to its having been preserved in a locket4 ,it is dated #afai1 and must therefore have been painted by ,peter ,oliver1 as his father died two years earlier4 ,the flesh-tones are particularly good and true to nature4 ,of the ,samuel ,coopers1 of which there are two or three examples1 that of ,henry1 ,duke of ,gloucester1 the brother of ,charles ,,ii41 is the finest and most noteworthy2 it is somewhat faded1 but the long1 weak face and melancholy expression1 which seem typical of his race1 are strikingly rendered4 ,to about this period belongs a very fine specimen of plumbago work by ,david ,loggan2 it is a portrait of ,sir ,greville ,verney1 full of life as to the character of the head1 and of exquisite finish and delicacy in execution4 ,near this hang two examples of similar work by ,thomas ,forster1 but of much inferior quality4 ,they present ,john1 first ,duke of ,marlborough and his imperious wife1 and are dated #agab4 ,richard ,cosway is not shown at his best1 although the ,earl of ,carlisle is a good and characteristic specimen of his somewhat effeminate rendering of men's portraits4 ,by his pupil1 ,andrew ,plimer1 are two very indifferent portraits of ladies1 but another of a young lady 7given by ,miss ,edmonstone ,ashley7 is a very charming work2 the fair unknown wears a huge white chin stay1 and looks at the spectator with an arch and vivacious expression4 ,mrs4 ,carruthers is a pleasing instance of ,j4 ,meyer's sound and attractive method of painting1 and there are two excellent and characteristic ,rosses1 viz41 ,margaret1 ,duchess of ,somerset and ,mrs4 ,dalton4 ,there is also a very good specimen of ,sir ,w4 ,j4 ,newton1 an artist whose work is now perhaps somewhat underrated4 ,in the ,plumley ,collection of ,enamels1 shown in the same gallery1 are some examples of ,essex which may please lovers of animals1 and a number of ,bone's copies1 which1 skilful as they are1 considering the scale on which they are done and the difficulty in doing them1 yet leave a good deal to be desired when compared with the originals4 ,a word may be said as to the ,barbor jewel which hangs in one of these cases1 and is reproduced in this book4 ,it was made for a ,mr4 ,barbor to commemorate his deliverance from the stake in the reign of ,mary ,tudor by the timely death of that sovereign just at the time fixed for his execution4 ,it is cut in a fine ,oriental onyx1 mounted in gold and enamelled1 and was bequeathed to the ,museum by the ,rev4 ,e4 ,e4 ,blencowe4 ,,the ,,dyce ,,collection4 ,there are four small cases of miniatures pertaining to the ,dyce ,collection which contain a few ,coopers1 and1 notably1 a portrait of the artist himself1 of which last an illustration is given4 ,the pocket-book and its contents attributed to ,cooper ,i have already referred to in ,chapter ,,vii4 ,some of these are thoroughly characteristic2 others1 in their smoothness and in the nature of their colouring1 are quite unlike ,cooper's ordinary manner2 whilst in one instance at least the drawing is so bad as to make one sceptical of its being the work of such an artist as ,samuel ,cooper at all4 ,take for example the portrait labelled ,miss ,pru ,fillips 7sic71 or ,mrs4 ,rosse1 or ,mrs4 ,priestman4 ,on the other hand1 the preparatory sketches for the ,duchess of ,cleveland and ,mrs4 ,munday1 and1 above all1 the ,catherine of ,braganza strike one as being not only the work of the master but also as especially characteristic4 ,there is a very good ,flatman in this collection1 a portrait of himself2 there are also a number of miniatures in oil on copper which1 like most works of this nature1 fail to interest us very much2 owing to their scale they have necessarily nothing of the impressiveness of an oil portrait1 whilst as miniatures they lack delicacy and charm4 ,,the ,,jones ,,collection4 ,as the ,isabeys and ,halls strike the dominant note of the ,wallace ,collection of miniatures1 so do the enamels by ,petitot that of the ,jones ,collection at the ,victoria and ,albert ,museum4 ,there are at ,kensington no less than #ef pieces attributed to ,jean ,petitot1 besides two others ascribed to ,petitot the ,younger4 ,i shall not re-enter upon a criticism of the great ,genevese enameller and his marvellous art1 with its distinctive character1 further than to repeat that for minute delicacy1 perfection of drawing1 and colouring it has never been excelled4 ,i am speaking of course1 of genuine work by ,petitot1 for he has had numberless imitators and copyists4 ,illustration3 ,j4 ,b4 ,,mass4 ,,portrait ,,of ,,the ,,painter ,c4 ,j4 ,,natoire4 7,m4 ,ed4 ,taigny47 ,upon examining the index of painters which is subjoined to this chapter it will be seen that many of the names we have been discussing occur therein1 but the ,jones ,collection cannot be said to be a representative one4 ,there are but three or four ,coopers1 one each by ,hilliard and ,hoskins1 ,zincke and ,boit have five between them2 there are three attributed to ,peter ,oliver1 and the like number to ,isaac4 ,in the case of the last named1 however1 we have a chef d'oeuvre in the shape of the portrait of the ,earl of ,dorset already described in ,chapter ,,vi4 ,by ,bernard ,lens also we have an important example1 namely1 the full length of ,sarah ,jennings1 ,duchess of ,marlborough1 in the blue robe affected by artists of the period4 ,but it is the ,petitots which in the eyes of students should give such especial value to this collection1 for nowhere else1 so far as ,i have seen or heard1 can the like be found1 certainly not at the ,louvre4 ,having previously enlarged fully upon the exquisite art of which ,jean ,petitot was the greatest exponent1 ,i need not recapitulate the charm which attaches to these gems of miniature painting nor the difficulties attending their production4 ,but ,i have been at the pains to arrange the ,jones ,collection alphabetically under painters and personages1 to facilitate reference4 ,by the aid of this analysis ,i trust my readers will be enabled to judge for themselves what there is to see at ,kensington in this way1 and1 if they have a genuine interest in the subject1 they may find the study of the collection facilitated by this key to its contents4 ,,index ,,to ,,the ,,names ,,of ,,persons ,,in ,,the ,,jones ,,collection4 ,a ,name4 ,addison1 ,joseph1 #cje ,aiguillon1 ,duchesse de1 #cjg ,alenon1 ,duc de1 #eec ,angoulme1 ,duchesse de1 #ejb ,anjou1 ,duc de1 #bhi ,antoinette1 ,marie1 #cdg1 #dig1 #ejb ,artois1 ,comte d'1 #ejb ,austria1 ,anne of1 #cab1 #cde ,b ,berri1 ,duc de1 #bic ,berri1 ,duchesse de1 #bhh ,bohemia1 ,elizabeth of1 #beg ,borgia1 ,cesare1 #hg ,bourgogne1 ,duchesse de1 #bib ,brissac1 ,duchesse de1 #bfb ,c ,catherine ,i41 #bhb ,catinat1 #ebd ,challace1 ,mlle4 de1 #bij ,charles ,i41 #cdi1 #eag ,charles ,,ii41 #hh1 #cjd ,christine1 ,queen1 #bee ,corneille1 #cac ,cond1 ,le ,grand1 #bgb ,cond1 ,henri ,prince de1 #ib1 #bgg ,cond1 ,princesse de1 #bgd ,cond1 ,sister of ,le ,grand1 #bhj ,conti1 ,anne1 ,princesse de1 #bfj1 #bfc ,d ,dauphin1 the1 #ejb ,dorset1 ,earl of1 #ceg ,drake1 ,sir ,f41 #big ,e ,elizabeth1 #cej ,elizabeth1 ,mme41 #ejb ,essex1 ,r41 ,earl of1 #cja ,etampes1 ,duchesse de1 #hf ,f ,fontanges1 ,mlle41 #edc ,fouquet1 ,nicholas1 #bgi ,franois ,,ii41 #dba ,g ,george ,,iv41 #cci ,grammont1 ,comtesse de1 #bhg1 #dhi ,granby1 ,marquis of1 #ejf ,grignan1 ,comtesse de1 #bfi1 #edc ,guise1 ,louis ,jos41 #cbj ,guise1 ,duc de1 #bff ,h ,henry1 ,prince of ,wales1 #bid ,henrietta ,maria1 ,queen1 #bed1 #eba ,henry ,,viii41 #he ,j ,james1 ,duke of ,york1 #hi ,l ,lamballe1 ,princesse de1 #cdh ,l',enclos1 ,ninon de #bec1 #dhi ,longueville1 ,duchesse de1 #bea ,lorraine1 ,duchesse de1 #cag ,lorraine1 ,cardinal1 #dbd ,louis ,,xiv41 #bdf-h1 #bei1 #bgj1 #bgc1 #bge1 #cji1 #cei1 #dhf ,see also #eci ,louis ,,xv41 #bhf1 #ceb1 #eai ,louis ,,xvi41 #cfb ,louis ,,xviii41 #ejb ,louvois1 ,marquis de1 #bfd ,luxembourg1 ,f4 ,duc de1 #bfa1 #bfg ,m ,maintenon1 ,mme4 de1 #bga1 #dgi ,maine1 ,duc de1 #bdi ,marlborough1 ,duchess of1 #ia1 #cfd ,mary1 ,queen 7of ,william ,,iii471 #cef ,mary1 ,queen of ,scots1 #hj1 #bii1 #eda ,marie ,thrse1 ,queen1 #cae ,mazarin1 ,cardinal1 #bdg1 #cah ,mazarin1 ,duchesse de1 #bia1 #cjh ,meilleraye1 ,duc de1 #caa ,milton1 #cea ,molire1 #caf ,montpensier1 ,duchesse de1 #bda ,montespan1 ,mme4 de1 #bdb1 #beb ,n ,ntre1 ,andr le1 #bgh ,o ,orlans1 ,m4 ,louise1 ,duchesse d'1 #ebd ,orlans1 ,philippe d'1 #bhd ,orlans1 ,duchesse d'1 #bfe1 #cdd1 #dhh ,orlans1 ,duc d'1 #bdj ,ormonde1 ,james1 ,duke of1 #bih ,p ,pontchartreux1 #ebe ,pembroke1 ,countess of1 #cfe ,peter the ,great1 #cfc ,philip ,v41 #bhc ,portsmouth1 ,duchess of1 #bhe1 #cdc ,pym1 ,j41 #hd ,r ,racine1 #cee ,richelieu1 ,duc de1 #cbf1 #cdf ,rochester1 ,j4 ,wilmot1 ,earl of1 #bie ,rochefoucauld1 #caj ,rupert1 ,prince1 #cjb ,s ,svign1 ,mme4 de1 #bde1 #bej1 #dhb ,sidney1 ,sir ,philip1 #cjc ,sidney1 ,mary1 ,countess of ,pembroke1 #cfe ,soissons1 ,comtesse de1 #bgf ,sully1 ,duc de1 #cad ,t ,thurloe1 ,john1 #bif ,turenne1 ,comte de1 #ij1 #bfh ,u ,unknown1 #cjj1 #cai1 #cba1 #cbb1 #cbc1 #cbd1 #cbe1 #cbf1 #cbg1 #cbh1 #cbi1 #ccj1 #cca1 #ccc1 #ccd1 #cce1 #ccf1 #ccg1 #cch1 #ceh1 #eji ,v ,vallire1 ,mlle4 de la1 #bdc1 #beh ,vendme1 ,duc de1 #bef ,vendme1 ,louis ,joseph1 ,duc de1 #bha ,vermandois1 ,comte de1 #bdd ,w ,wales1 ,henry1 ,prince of1 #bid ,wellington1 ,duke of1 #eca ,william ,,iii41 #ced ,y ,york1 ,james1 ,duke of1 #hi ,,index ,,to ,,painters4 ,artaud1 #bhi ,boit1 ,c41 #bhb1 #bhh1 #bib ,boucher1 #cda1 #cdg ,cooper1 ,s41 #bie 7after7 #bif 7after7 #cjb1 #cjd1 #cea ,essex1 ,william1 #cci ,f4 ,hans1 #cdd1 #cfb ,gerbier1 #cdi ,hilliard1 ,n41 #cej ,holbein1 ,h41 #ha 7after7 #he ,hoskins1 ,j41 #cfe ,isabey1 #eca ,janet1 #cec ,janssen1 ,c41 #hb1 #hc1 #hd ,lens1 ,bernard1 #cfd1 #eda ,le ,seuer1 #ejf ,oliver1 ,isaac1 #bid1 #cjc1 #ceg ,oliver1 ,peter1 #cfa1 #eag1 #eba ,parent1 ,j41 #dhf ,petitot1 #bdj1 #bda1 #bdb1 #bdc1 #bdd1 #bdf1 #bdh1 #bdi1 #bej1 #bea1 #beb1 #bec1 #bed1 #bee1 #bef1 #beh1 #bei1 #bfb1 #bfc1 #bfd1 #bfe1 #bff1 #bfg1 #bfh1 #bfi1 #bgj1 #bgc1 #bge1 #bgf1 #bgg1 #bgh1 #bgi1 #bhj81 #bha1 #bhe1 #bia1 #bic1 #cjf1 #cjg1 #cji1 #caj1 #caa1 #cab1 #cae1 #caf1 #cah1 #cbj1 #cba1 #cbc1 #cbd81 #cbf1 #cbh1 #ccj1 #cca1 #ccc1 #ccf1 #dhh1 #edc8 ,petitot the ,younger1 #cjh1 #cbg ,p4 ,w41 #hi ,seuin1 ,p41 #ij ,titian1 #hg ,zincke1 ,c4 ,f41 #cjj1 #cje ,,xiv ,,the ,,french ,,school ,,chapter ,,xiv ,,the ,,french ,,school ,a study of ,french miniature painters has led the present writer to place their work on a higher level than has heretofore1 perhaps1 been generally assigned to it1 and has shown him that there have been not a few but many ,french miniaturists of remarkable excellence1 and that they practised their art during a period which we are accustomed to look upon as one of anarchy1 of tumult1 and of bloodshed2 a fact which is not only interesting in itself1 but has the advantage of throwing light upon the period also2 on its life1 and on the men and women who played prominent parts during that eventful period of modern history1 for we find ample evidence that even during the ,terror itself the miniature painter was busy at work4 ,in this respect1 as in many others1 a recent exhibition of eighteenth century ,french ,art1 at the ,bibliothque ,nationale in ,paris1 revealed much4 ,indeed1 it may be said that it was the most noteworthy event in connection with miniatures1 and the claims they have upon the notice of students of art1 of manners1 and of costume1 which has taken place for years4 ,it was recognised as a revelation by the learned authorities of the ,french national library1 who were responsible for its arrangement1 foremost amongst whom stood the late lamented ,henri ,bouchot1 ,directeur du dpartement des ,estampes1 a gentleman to whose courtesy ,i have been personally indebted1 and whose critical acumen was well known4 ,it was1 they said1 a revelation2 they spoke of it in relation to its technical aspects more particularly4 ,it brought to light a number of ,french miniature painters whose ability was amply demonstrated1 but who were almost or quite unknown at the present day1 even to their own countrymen4 ,but the personality of these miniature painters and the remarkable people who sat to them must not make us ignore some earlier men to whom ,i shall now briefly refer4 ,in the first place ,i may call attention to the fact that1 as might be expected1 a comparison between ,french painters-in-little and those of ,great ,britain reveals some interesting differences1 both technically and in respect of the treatment of the subject4 ,the latter differences1 which spring from national characteristics1 will1 ,i think1 be brought out as we come to deal with the work of the various artists1 and ,i shall not stop to enlarge upon them now4 ,at a time when we could boast in ,england of no native artist of importance--hardly one1 indeed1 can be named1 for ,nicholas ,hilliard was not born until the middle of the sixteenth century--there was working in ,france a family of artists known as the ,clouets1 who produced portraiture of great excellence4 ,what ,i have termed elsewhere the tangled skein of the history of the ,clouets would take a great deal of unravelling4 ,it is a subject to which foreign critics of eminence have devoted much time and trouble4 ,without following all their researches in detail1 or professing to utter anything like the last word upon an obscure and difficult subject1 it may be said to have been proved that the family was undoubtedly of ,flemish extraction1 and that they were firmly established at the ,french ,court at the beginning of the sixteenth century4 ,m4 ,laborde1 in his ,renaissance des ,arts la ,cour de ,france1 quotes a deed of gift of property which had escheated to the ,crown dated #aeaf1 the second year of the reign of ,franois ,i41 which shows that1 at any rate1 by that time the ,clouets were established in ,royal favour4 ,illustration3 ,l4 ,,sicardi4 ,,benoit ,,boulouvard ,,de ,,sainte ,,albine ,,and ,,sister4 7,m4 le ,comte ,allard du ,chollet47 ,the surname was probably originally ,clouwet1 and two members of the family1 father and son1 have been commonly known as ,janet4 ,this duplication of names1 to say nothing of the varieties of spelling1 has led to a good deal of confusion in the attribution of works by these artists4 ,among the latest authorities upon this subject ,i may quote my friend ,m4 ,dimier1 of ,paris1 who contributed a chapter to my book on the portraiture of ,mary ,queen of ,scots4#e ,footnote #e3 ,concerning the ,true ,portraiture of ,mary ,stuart4 ,dickinsons1 #aije4 ,the subject has a significance of its own for ,french art critics as throwing light upon the influences exerted upon ,french artists at the period of the ,renaissance--that is to say1 whether the work by the men of that time which has come down to us owes its highest artistic qualities to ,italian influence1 to native genius1 or to ,flemish influence4 ,critics are divided into two camps3 those who stoutly maintain the claims of the ,french artists to originality1 and those who are equally confident that it is to ,italian influence we owe all that is most attractive in ,french art of that period4 ,m4 ,dimier has acutely pointed out that whilst the ,italian influence theory is anathema to many1 these same critics allow the assertion of ,flemish influence to pass without a protest4 ,be all this as it may1 it is quite clear that the vogue for portraiture in ,france at the beginning of the sixteenth century was extraordinary4 ,contemporary inventories show that drawings by the thousand must have existed4 ,they were kept in albums in the houses of the great1 and many collections are known4 ,catherine de ,medici loved to have her children painted1 and ,m4 ,bonaffl has shown that her estate included more than a hundred such portraits4 ,there are numbers of these to be seen to-day at ,chantilly1 the old home of the ,conds1 not the least interesting of which is a series of eighty or ninety drawings in black and red chalk that once belonged to the ,earl of ,carlisle and formed part of the famous ,castle ,howard ,collection4 ,before leaving the ,clouets1 ,i may mention that a painting1 measuring sixty-one by fifty-three inches1 of ,henri ,,ii4 was sold at ,christie's in ,january1 #aije1 for #b1ejj4 ,those who were fortunate enough to have visited the ,exhibition de ,primitifs ,franais at ,paris1 in #aijd1 will remember a number of interesting portraits attributed to the two ,clouets1 of which they cannot have failed to admire the beautiful portrait from the ,louvre of ,elizabeth of ,austria4 ,the original drawing for this is in the ,bibliothque ,nationale1 and the existence of the two works--that is1 the crayon from nature and the beautifully finished picture in oils--is interesting as showing the practice of the artist4 ,in the remarkable ,exhibition just named the student will have made the acquaintance of many names probably new to him1 and can hardly have failed to observe the number attributed to ,corneille de ,lyon1 most of them dated somewhere about #aedh4 ,this is an artist who has only of late years won recognition4 ,he1 too1 was a ,fleming1 but the only name which can be assigned to him is ,corneille4 ,m4 ,dimier says he was a native of the ,hague who settled at ,lyons4 ,he surmises that the ,royal visits to ,lyons in the year #aecf were productive of ,royal patronage4 ,but ,m4 ,dimier appears to hold very conflicting views as to the merits of this artist1 and discovers great divergences in his style2 thus he says3 ,his ,corneille's knowledge is so scanty that he can scarce fill in his own feeble design2 in the best of these pictures the bust and shoulders are like students' work1 and verge on the ridiculous2 yet his texture1 he says1 elsewhere1 is delicate1 limpid1 and absolutely fresh1 the total effect the result of genius of a very small order4 ,but in a portrait of the ,baron de ,chateauneuf1 which does1 or did1 belong to ,mr4 ,charles ,butler1 he finds work which he says is scarcely unworthy of ,holbein2 in depth of knowledge1 boldness of execution1 and extreme beauty of colour this little work is a masterpiece1 far and away superior to anything which ,i have ascribed to the ,janets1 c4 ,i have quoted these opinions at some length so that readers may judge for themselves of the relative importance of this early artist1 all of whose work exhibited at the ,exhibition de ,primitifs was small in scale1 and most of it1 ,i have reason to believe1 new to some students of art4 ,when we leave the ,court of the ,valois we seem to come to a great gap in our subject2 and it is not until we arrive at the names of ,petitot and his followers1 a subject which has already been dealt with in ,chapter ,,viii41 that there is anything of importance to arrest our attention4 ,this book is in no sense a detailed history of miniature painting2 it merely aims at discussing some of the salient points of a wide subject2 and1 therefore1 ,i make no further apology for passing on to the work which was executed in the eighteenth century1 when several artists of remarkable ability appear on the horizon4 ,i propose to take a few of the most eminent of these names1 and to deal with them in chronological order4 ,following that classification1 the amiable ,rosalba ,carriera will come first4 ,she was born in ,venice in #afge2 and though some would deny her any extraordinary talent1 certain it is that she achieved ,european reputation4 ,this lady must have possessed charming manners and very endearing qualities1 for she is reputed to have been plain in personal appearance4 ,some ten or twelve years before her death1 which occurred in her native place in #ageg1 she became blind1 and devoted her means and the closing period of her life to works of charity4 ,she painted a good many miniatures1 which are dispersed in various collections1 also landscapes4 ,but probably her fame will rest most securely upon her work in pastels1 of which there are examples in the ,louvre2 ,i recall two in the ,salon des ,pastels which are not unworthy of the fine specimens of that kind of work which hang around them2 and that is high praise indeed1 for1 as every one knows1 work in crayons was carried by ,french artists of the eighteenth century to a pitch of astonishing excellence2 some of the portraits in that room by ,la ,tour1 for example1 can hardly be surpassed for truth to nature and beauty of drawing2 with almost the strength of oil paintings1 they have a character and charm peculiar to themselves4 ,in landscape work ,rosalba earned great renown1 though there are some who say that she was over-praised in her day and by her generation4 ,illustration3 ,p4 ,p4 ,,prudhon4 ,,mlle4 ,,constance ,,mayer4 7,eudoxe-,marcille ,collection47 ,jean ,baptiste ,mass has been described as a link between seventeenth and eighteenth century miniature painters4 ,he was also an engraver1 the son of a ,protestant goldsmith of ,chateaudun1 born in #afhg4 ,in spite of his religion1 the ,regent obtained his admission to the ,academy4 ,he worked in gouache and his style is said to have influenced ,hall4 ,the portrait of ,natoire here shown gives a good idea of his powers4 ,he lived till #agfg4 ,in ,franois ,boucher1 who was born just at the beginning of the century1 in #agjd1 and died in #aggj1 we have an artist of consummate ability1 whose renown does not depend upon his miniatures4 ,he may be called the decorative artist par excellence of the century2 but probably many of the little nudities 7of which there are a large collection to be seen at ,hertford ,house7 which are attributed to ,boucher are really by ,charlier and others of his followers4 ,the learned editor of the catalogue of the collection of ,french miniatures shown at the ,bibliothque ,nationale in #aijf is my authority for saying that some of the miniatures which are signed ,boucher are by ,madame ,boucher1 not the wife of our painter1 but a lady bearing the same name4 ,thus the connection of ,franois ,boucher with our subject appears to be slight1 and as his other work is so well known we need not stop to discuss him further4 ,jacques ,charlier comes next to his master in point of date1 having been born in #agbj4 ,very little biographical information is to be gleaned about this artist2 nevertheless he was extremely well known in his time1 and his genius1 such as it was1 appears to have been admirably adapted to the taste of the day4 ,thus1 the ,comte de ,caylus1 the amateur who has left us that valuable memoir of ,watteau which the ,goncourts rescued from oblivion1 is said to have possessed a hundred examples by ,charlier2 and in #aggb the ,prince de ,conti commissioned him to paint a dozen miniatures at #a1bjj livres apiece4 ,louis ,,xv4 also extended his patronage to ,charlier1 who painted upon boxes most of the members of that monarch's family4 ,it would seem that after the death of ,louis ,,xv4 ,charlier's reputation waned1 and the value of his works diminished4 ,he had a sale of his productions which by no means answered his expectations1 and shortly afterwards he died4 ,hertford ,house can boast of a large number of works attributed to ,charlier2 but1 for the most part1 they consist of the familiar ,toilet of ,venus1 nymphs bathing1 and such-like subjects which we are wont to associate with ,boucher4 ,but here and there will be found a portrait--one of ,madame ,elizabeth of ,france1 for instance4 ,the versatile ,jean ,honor ,fragonard1 says ,m4 ,bouchot1 painted miniatures only for his amusement4 ,this critic also attributes them to ,madame ,fragonard4 ,be their authorship what it may1 examples which can be safely attributed to him are extremely rare and greatly sought after4 ,a representative one is to be seen in the ,ashmolean ,museum at ,oxford1 and another is in the ,wallace ,collection4#f ,each may be described as a portrait study of a young girl2 in each the handling is broad in the extreme1 and resembles a freely painted water-colour drawing in effect4 ,footnote #f3 ,no4 #ahc1 in ,gallery ,,xi4 ,i now come to a miniature painter proper1 of the highest excellence1 viz41 ,pierre ,adolphe ,hall4 ,he has been termed--and ,i1 for one1 should agree with this verdict--the finest miniature painter of the eighteenth century4 ,the facility of his execution is simply marvellous2 the sweetness and tenderness of expression that he gives to his faces1 and the invariable refinement of his works1 make them delightful4 ,his manner is entirely peculiar to himself1 body colour being largely used4 ,the work is broad in style and effect1 and yet the features are often minute4 ,the career of this prolific artist was somewhat chequered2 and although he earned large sums of money by his brush--as much as twenty to thirty thousand livres a year1 it is said--he died in poverty1 and left his family in want4 ,he was born at ,stockholm1 in #agcf4 ,when twenty-four years of age he came to ,paris to study2 here he remained many years1 and married a ,mlle4 ,godin1 of ,versailles1 whose father was killed in the ,revolution4 ,gustavus ,,iii4 wished ,hall to return to ,sweden2 but he had become so thoroughly ,french that he refused4 ,the ,revolution sounded the knell of the artist's fortunes4 ,quitting ,paris1 he started for the north1 hoping to find employment and commissions on the way2 but at ,lige he was seized with apoplexy1 and died there1 in #agic4 ,in the ,exhibition of ,miniatures at the ,french ,national ,library to which ,i have several times referred1 there were over fifty examples attributed to ,hall1 many of superb quality and undoubted authenticity4 ,i do not mention the price obtained at auction as an infallible test of the quality of a miniature1 or of any other work of art--for fashion reigns supreme in the sale-room as elsewhere2 nevertheless1 it is perhaps worth recording that two miniatures by ,hall1 shown in this collection1 fetched the sum of #bh1jjj and #fj1jjj francs respectively1 one being a portrait of the ,countess ,helflinger1 ne ,o',dune--an exquisitely soft and tender example1 now belonging to ,m4 ,cognac2 while the other came from the ,mlbacher ,sale1 and represented1 not ,louisa1 ,queen of ,prussia1 as was wrongly stated in ,swedish on the back of the frame1 but probably1 since the portrait is entirely ,french in style1 that of ,mlle4 ,dugazon in the character of ,nina1 as may be seen by a comparison with an engraving of the subject by ,janinet after ,houin1 and the portrait by ,mme4 ,vige le ,brun of the famous actress which now belongs to the ,comtesse de ,pourtales4 ,illustration3 ,j4 ,b4 ,,augustin4 ,,portrait ,,of ,a ,,lady4 7,m4 ,ed4 ,taigny47 ,illustration3 ,j4 ,,gu,,rin4 ,,portrait ,,of ,a ,,young ,,lady4 7,mme4 de ,sainte ,martin ,valogne47 ,the year after ,hall1 was born in ,stockholm another ,swedish artist1 destined to attain great popularity in ,france1 and1 like his greater compatriot1 to fall into neglect1 was ,nicolas ,lavreince1 or1 to give him his proper name1 ,nicolas ,lanfransen4 ,when about thirty years of age he came to ,paris to pursue his studies1 and the work of his dainty1 minute1 not always too decorous brush was just suited to the taste of the people for whom he worked and amongst whom he lived4 ,he1 too1 like ,hall1 drew ,nina1 and the ,dugazon in the rle of ,babet1 and the ,du ,barry of course2 all of whom were to be seen in the ,bibliothque ,nationale a year or two ago1 each portrait being marked by extreme delicacy of touch and minuteness of finish4 ,it must be owned that there is an extraordinary charm about the work of this artist1 apart from its merits of execution2 but it is a charm difficult to put into words4 ,they have not the unreality of the ftes galantes1 nor the domesticity of our ,francis ,wheatley1 but something between the two1 something of the daintiness of ,watteau combined with the homeliness of the ,english artist4 ,he worked a good deal in body colour1 and his gouaches have been engraved in colour and in black and white by ,janinet and ,vidal4 ,many of these1 such as ,la ,comparaison1 ,l',aveu ,difficile1 ,l',indiscrtion1 are very celebrated1 and now of extreme value2 while another1 ,le petit ,conseil1 is a print of great rarity4 ,probably driven away by the ,revolution1 ,lavreince1 like ,hall1 quitted ,paris1 and died at ,stockholm1 in #ahjg1 at which date1 according to ,m4 ,bouchot1 his art had fallen into complete discredit4 ,antoine ,vestier1 born in #agdj1 is recognised as an oil painter1 and was received into the ,french ,academy in #aghf4 ,he is said to have rivalled ,mme4 ,vige le ,brun and ,roslin1 and loved to adorn his sitters with ribbons and satins4 ,nevertheless1 he was a miniature painter1 and exhibited in the ,salon excellent work of the kind1 marked by good colour and careful execution4 ,he lived on until the end of the first quarter of the nineteenth century1 and had a daughter1 ,nicole ,vestier1 who was also a miniature painter4 ,she married ,dumont1 himself a distinguished artist1 of whom ,i shall have something to say later on4 ,another artist who devoted special pains to his draperies1 and has been called the ,roslin of miniature painting1 was ,jean ,laurent ,mosnier1 born in ,paris1 in #agdf4 ,mosnier was made an ,academician two years after ,vestier1 but did not long survive1 dying in #agie4 ,french critics place his work on a level with that of ,augustin or ,dumont4 ,his comparatively early death may account for the rarity of his miniatures1 which are extremely scarce and much sought after nowadays1 being distinguished by excellent taste and brilliant finish1 especially1 as ,i have said1 in the painting of the draperies4 ,in the same year as the last-named artist1 ,luc ,sicard1 or1 as he was sometimes called1 ,sicardi1 was born4 ,he was a native of ,avignon1 and one of the best miniature painters of his day4 ,the delicacy of his flesh tones1 the precision of his execution1 and his attention to the most minute details made his work especially adapted for boits aux portraits2 and he was officially attached to the ,ministry for ,foreign ,affairs1 to assist in the production of these cadeaux diplomatiques1 for which he was wont to be paid #cjj livres apiece4 ,hence many portraits of the ,french ,royalty of his time were executed by him4 ,there is a lovely example of his delicate handling in the ,wallace ,collection 7reproduced in my ,miniature ,painters72 and the fine example given in this volume1 the portraits of ,benoit ,boulouvard and ,franoise du ,plain de ,ste4 ,albine1 gives a good idea of his style1 though it cannot convey the colouring which is especially charming in the latter example4 ,thus1 the girl wears a citron-coloured ribbon in her beautifully painted hair1 her dress is of a tender pale greenish-blue1 her lips fresh and red2 her dark eyes contrast with a pale complexion of the utmost purity1 while the boy's deep blue eyes contrast with his warm brown hair4 ,sicardi died in the same year as ,mosnier1 namely #ahbe4 ,another provincial artist of about this period was ,claude ,jean ,baptiste ,houin1 a native of ,dijon1 where he died1 as ,conservateur du ,muse1 in #ahag4 ,his work1 too1 is much sought after now4 ,he was a pupil of ,devosge and ,greuze1 and also painted in pastel4 ,m4 ,rouvier1 who was born in #agej and died in the year of ,waterloo1 is a man whose work appears to have won recognition in his own time1 a contemporary writer speaking of it as possessing likeness1 good colour1 and harmony2 but1 perhaps owing to the rarity of examples by him1 he may be said to be almost unknown to the present generation4 ,there were four notable miniatures by him in the ,alphonse ,kann ,collection1 dated #aghj and #agha4 ,they are marked by beautiful handling and distinction of style4 ,in ,franois ,dumont we have1 it is generally allowed1 one of the foremost miniature painters that ,france can boast of1 worthy of being ranked with ,isabey and ,augustin1 and1 like both of them1 a native of ,lorraine4 ,in the ,exhibition1 which was so valuable as an exposition of what the ,french school was capable of1 there were a large number of works by ,dumont1 comprising ,marie ,antoinette1 painted in #aggd1 and many portraits of the period of the ,revolution4 ,there is a certain sobriety and moderation about the work of ,dumont which conveys a sense of solid value1 sometimes rising to a height of character painting of extreme vigour1 and sometimes1 in his women's portraits1 marked by great delicacy of face1 hair and drapery painting4 ,the career of ,dumont is a notable instance of the triumph of genius and industry4 ,he was left an orphan1 with six brothers and sisters1 and when only eighteen years of age quitted his native place1 ,luneville1 and came to ,paris as a portrait painter4 ,after ten or twelve years' work he had so far succeeded as to be able to go to ,rome1 in #aghd1 where he established a reputation which led to his being appointed the miniaturiste attitr of the ,italian ,court4 ,he was made an ,academician when only thirty-seven1 and the ,king gave him ,cochin's rooms in the ,louvre4 ,the year the ,revolution broke out he married ,nicole ,vestier2 and from that time on till #ahbd ,dumont's contributions to the ,salon were regular and numerous4 ,illustration3 ,l4 ,f4 ,,aubry4 ,,mme4 ,,henri ,,belmont4 7,m4 de ,richter47 ,there is a comparatively large collection of his works to be seen at the ,louvre1 bequeathed by ,dr4 ,gillet4 ,it may be noted that he had a brother1 ,laurent ,nicolas ,antoine1 called ,tony1 who painted miniatures1 signed ,dumont1 at ,paris4 ,some critics are inclined to attribute a certain heaviness of style to ,dumont1 which may be the excess of the solid qualities that ,i spoke of2 and this charge is somewhat borne out by the examples to be seen at the ,louvre4 ,the lourdeur of ,dumont passes into leatheriness in the work of ,louis ,li ,prin1 his flesh painting being greatly inferior to that of his master1 ,sicardi4 ,prin came to ,paris to earn his living as a miniature painter in #aggh4 ,ruined by the ,assignats in #agii1 he returned to his native place1 ,rheims1 where he followed his father's trade of woollen manufacturer2 but he continued to paint during the ,empire1 and died in #ahag4 ,in ,pierre ,paul ,prudhon 7#ageh-ahbc7 we have an artist indeed1 but not1 strictly speaking1 a miniature painter1 for his work in this manner was but little4 ,nevertheless1 there is one celebrated example of his powers1 viz41 the portrait of ,mlle4 ,constance ,mayer1 from the ,eudoxe ,marcille ,collection4 ,the tragic end of this pupil and friend of ,prudhon is well known4 ,the face is marked by the sensibility which was the distinguishing charm of that ill-fated lady and artist4 ,there is a large drawing of the same subject in the ,louvre 7reproduced in my recent work on ,eighteenth ,century ,french ,art71 remarkable for force and character4 ,jean ,baptiste ,jacques ,augustin 7#agei-ahcb7 has long enjoyed a reputation as one of the greatest miniature painters produced by ,france2 but it was reserved for the ,exhibition brought together at the ,bibliothque ,nationale in #aijf to show the extent and surpassing quality of some of his work4 ,from the collections of ,baron ,schlichting and ,alphonse ,kann1 from the ,doistau ,collection1 and last1 but not least1 from ,mr4 ,pierpont ,morgan1 came nearly fifty works4 ,the quality of these varied a good deal1 some being almost coarse and bricky in colour1 whilst others1 notably some sketches1 with small heads1 which came from ,augustin's heirs1 were amongst the most wonderful things ,i have ever seen in art of this nature4 ,it would be impossible to convey an adequate idea of the marvellous expression1 delicacy1 and finish combined in the heads in these sketches1 which were not larger than a pea4 ,in another specimen of his powers in the same collection might be seen the most delicate tones of flesh painting imaginable4 ,in the ,wallace ,collection are nine or ten ,augustins1 including ,jrome and ,napoleon ,bonaparte and ,marie ,louise4 ,the most attractive of them all is a young lady in a white bodice1 with a leopard skin hanging round her dcollet figure4 ,she has a most vivacious and winning expression4 ,it is dated #ahbd4 ,augustin arrived in ,paris some eight years before the outbreak of the ,revolution2 he lived to paint ,napoleon at the height of his greatness1 say1 about #ahaj1 ,josphine1 ,pauline1 and others of the ,bonaparte family1 and died of cholera in #ahcb4 ,between #agha and #ahjj1 when he was married1 he painted upwards of three hundred and sixty portraits1 some miniatures and some in oils4 ,his wife became his pupil1 and is said to have almost equalled her husband4 ,she lived till #ahfe1 and her work is often confounded with that of her husband1 whose method of working and artistic tendencies she thoroughly understood and embraced4 ,it has been said of ,augustin that he was the traditional descendant of the old missal painters2 and a portrait by him of ,denon in enamel recalls1 according to ,m4 ,bouchot1 the best work of ,fouquet1 of ,clouet1 or ,nanteuil4 ,i should have said that1 compared with the two latter painters1 he was far their superior when at his best4 ,for delineation of character1 minute detail1 and brilliant1 if somewhat hard1 finish1 ,augustin's work would hold its own in comparison with much of the finest medieval missal-painting1 which1 indeed1 it instinctively recalls4 ,although1 consciously or unconsciously1 ,augustin's work may have been influenced by the study of medieval work1 with its brilliancy1 formality1 and patience1 amongst the fifty pieces from his hand shown in ,paris a considerable variety of treatment might be found1 some of it being large and bold in style1 as1 for example1 a portrait of the sculptor ,calamard4 ,j4-,b4 ,j4 ,augustin must not be confounded with that ,augustin ,dubourg who signed his work ,augustin4 ,dubourg's work is not met with after #ahjj2 it is said that he was a cousin of the better-known man1 and came from the same town1 namely ,st4 ,di in the ,vosges4 ,a contemporary of ,augustin1 born in the same year and dying in the same year1 was ,charles ,guillaume ,alexandre ,bourgeois4 ,his effective manner of rendering a portrait may be said to be peculiar to himself1 he treating them as medallions1 and painting the head in profile on a black ground1 which greatly added to their effect4 ,although this seems to have been ,bourgeois's favourite method of portraiture1 it was not his invariable practice2 and when1 leaving the marble whiteness and medal-like effect of his ordinary method1 he set himself to paint flesh tones and the fair skin and rounded contours of youth1 he was equally successful4 ,he is said to have been very proficient in practical chemistry1 and published several works on the subject4 ,although he exhibited in the ,salon from #ahjj to #ahbd1 his work is rare1 and examples fetch a high price4 ,a peculiarity ,i have noted in his treatment is that the eyes in his women's portraits are invariably large and the eyes lashes curled to an unnatural degree4 ,i should say that his men are not as well painted as his women4 ,the medallion style that he affects makes his work particularly suitable for insertion in boxes4 ,illustration3 ,j4 ,b4 ,,isabey4 ,,by ,,himself4 7,m4 ,ed4 ,taigny47 ,in concluding these remarks upon the ,french school of miniature painters1 ,i come to a very distinguished name1 that of ,isabey1 with which two other artists may be grouped as pupils or companions2 and we will take the latter first2 they are ,jean ,gurin and ,louis ,franois ,aubry4 ,gurin was born in #agfj1 and was a companion of ,isabey in ,david's studio4 ,his abilities must have been early recognised at ,court1 as he painted the ,king and ,queen1 and1 later1 many of the celebrities of the ,assemble2 he also lived to paint ,josphine ,bonaparte in ,court costume4 ,his portrait of ,general ,klber is perhaps the best known miniature in the ,louvre1 and is a work of astonishing virility and force of character4 ,it was exhibited in the ,salon of #agih1 and he made many copies of it4 ,although his men's portraits are remarkable for their searching modelling1 he was equally successful with the portraits of women and children1 which he painted with navet and tenderness4 ,the other associate of ,isabey was ,louis ,franois ,aubry1 a ,parisian1 born in #agfg1 who lived till the middle of the nineteenth century4 ,contemporary criticism assigned to this artist the ability to imitate his master ,isabey1 and to rival him in delicacy of brush and fidelity of likeness4 ,although he exhibited for over thirty years at the ,salon1 there is nothing by him in the ,wallace ,collection1 and ,i only recall one in the ,louvre1 and that is a large miniature1 painted with great care1 representing a lady playing a harp4 ,it is highly finished throughout1 and recalls the best work of ,augustin4 ,i should say that he excelled in what may be called full-dress pictures1 somewhat conscious1 not to say affected1 in pose1 but excellent work of high technical quality4 ,aubry was at his zenith during the ,restoration2 he lived till #ahea1 and for many years had an atelier in ,paris frequented by male and female students4 ,in some respects ,jean ,baptiste ,isabey is the most remarkable name in the annals of ,french miniature painting4 ,he was persona grata to successive monarchs1 having been peintre attitr to ,napoleon1 to the ,allies1 to ,louis ,,xviii41 and to ,charles ,x4 ,but the commencement of this artist's career can be taken much farther back1 seeing that it was the admiration of ,marie ,antoinette for his work upon boites decores that led to his first royal patronage1 and resulted in his being installed at ,versailles before he was of age4 ,from that time1 the very eve of the ,revolution1 until #ahee he produced a long series of portraits of all the most distinguished personages of his time4 ,the ,wallace ,collection is especially rich in his work1 there being nearly thirty examples by his hand4 ,with ,napoleon ,i4 he was a special favourite1 and1 as ,i have said1 several of his portraits of the ,emperor may be seen at ,hertford ,house1 representing him in full ,imperial costume1 in academic dress1 with ,josphine1 and otherwise4 ,and there1 too1 may be seen two portraits of the ,duke of ,wellington from his hand4 ,but this collection is especially rich in portraits of ladies of the ,empire and ,restoration1 to depict whose charms he adopted a style of his own1 known to ,french critics as portraits sous voile4 ,these ladies are touched in with a light hand and with the freedom of a water-colour sketch4 ,this manner of painting1 in which he may be said to have set the fashion1 is the very antithesis in style to that of his master ,david2 but the rigorous training of that severe draughtsman enabled ,isabey1 when he chose1 to paint with a precision and minute finish which is the ne plus ultra of such work4 ,this was shown in a large piece1 twenty-three by seventeen centimetres1 exhibited in ,paris in #aijf1 and representing the children of ,joachim ,murat1 and ,caroline of ,naples djeunant sur l'herbe4 ,this1 ,i do not hesitate to say1 is the most extraordinary piece of work of its kind that ,i have ever seen4 ,it is a group of several children in velvet dresses of the period1 and a certain quality of velvety softness marks the execution4 ,the attention to detail is microscopic2 all the accessories of the little picnic party are painted with elaborate care2 the stalk of the flowers in the dessert dish1 the tiny finger-nails of the children1 are all treated as if the artist's reputation depended upon the fidelity with which he represented them4 ,it is a veritable tour de force of finish2 but such is the brilliant and luminous way in which he has handled it that there is nothing hard or laboured in its effect1 in spite of the immense amount of work it must have entailed4 ,in this particular example there is a quality recalling the finest ,flemish work2 and yet1 as ,isabey came to the capital1 as we have seen1 before he was twenty-one years of age1 he can hardly have been subject to ,flemish influences2 ,i should attribute it to the influence of ,david and the classical school4 ,the group ,i have been describing is not dated1 but clearly belongs to the halcyon days of the ,empire4 ,it may have been the demands made upon the time of ,isabey1 owing to his numberless commissions1 that made him adopt the less laboured style of most of the portraits of ladies which may be seen at the ,wallace ,collection--that is1 his latest manner--which is so entirely different from the group of ,murat's children as to make one almost doubt at first sight that it can have proceeded from the same hand4 ,i had intended to close this notice upon the ,french painters with ,isabey1 who1 as he lived to be nearly ninety1 seems to be linked on almost to our own times2 but there are two or three others to whom ,i must briefly refer1 of whom the ,italian ,ferdinand ,quaglia is one4 ,he was born in #aghj1 and was established in ,paris in #ahje1 where1 having obtained the patronage of ,josphine ,beauharnais1 he became a ,court painter4 ,a miniature of the ,empress by him may be seen at ,hertford ,house2 it is probably a replica1 as it is dated #ahad1 and she was divorced five years earlier4 ,quaglia's work is marked by high finish1 but it is uninteresting1 and his style sometimes approaches the smoothness of porcelain1 which detracts from its artistic value4 ,another artist who clearly enjoyed the ,french ,imperial patronage was ,c4 ,chatillon1 as is shown by the beautiful portrait of ,napoleon in his coronation robe and wearing the laurel wreath of victory1 which adorns this volume4 ,the original is in the collection of his ,grace the ,duke of ,wellington4 ,daniel ,saint was an excellent artist1 though not1 perhaps1 of the first rank2 there are several examples of his work in the ,wallace ,collection1 and he may be regarded as the successor of ,augustin and ,dumont4 ,lastly1 ,i may mention ,j4 ,mansion1 who painted many charming portraits of the period of the ,restoration1 as may be seen at ,hertford ,house4 ,he was associated with the ,svres factory1 but his quality as a portrait painter is amply vindicated in the ,wallace ,collection4 ,his work was probably largely influenced by ,isabey1 whose style it closely resembles4 ,,conclusion ,the practice of the art of ,miniature ,painting has now been traced through several centuries1 from its origin in the cloister1 to its enthronement on the hearth and place of honour in mid-,victorian homes4 ,these pages will have been written to little purpose if they have not amply demonstrated the truth of what ,dr4 ,johnson has finely said of the art1 namely1 that it is so valuable in diffusing friendship1 in reviving tenderness1 in awakening the affections of the absent1 and continuing the presence of the dead4 ,i have quoted these words elsewhere2 but none that ,i am acquainted with so aptly express the personal interest pertaining to miniatures1 which strikes a deep and vibrant note1 one which1 when joined to exquisite work1 as we have seen it to be in the case of so many examples of the older masters1 lends an indefinable charm to miniatures1 and makes them amongst the most cherished of human possessions4 ,thus much1 then1 as regards the past4 ,the future progress of this fascinating art it will be for others to chronicle1 if1 and when1 it regains an importance which warrants a record4 ,at present all good judges agree that1 in spite of the number of those who are practising as miniature painters1 the standard reached is most disappointing4 ,the reason for this unsatisfactory state of affairs ,i shall leave my readers to determine for themselves1 for ,i may be told that in talking about old miniatures it is no concern of mine to point out1 and still less to dwell upon1 the merits or otherwise of recent examples4 ,nevertheless1 as one who has studied the subject somewhat closely for many years1 ,i may be allowed to express the conviction that the deficiencies so painfully apparent in modern work are mainly due to the want of thorough artistic training4 ,miniature painting is too often taken up much as ladies take up some new kind of fancy-work 7as they term it74 ,want of success--due to lack of knowledge and lack of experience--soon leads to discouragement4 ,thus the persistent practice which led to success in other days is wanting1 and the artist's powers never reach their full development4 ,if this be true1 and ,i think it is1 the remedy for it1 as far as the artists are concerned1 may be found in more careful training and in patient devotion to work4 ,but then1 the public who employ them must play their part4 ,they must show greater refinement of taste1 and learn to discriminate2 to reject what is bad or indifferent1 and realise that good work cannot be cheap work1 that it demands and is entitled to adequate remuneration4 ,it should be the task of each successive generation to see that the art of miniature painting is encouraged4 ,miniatures must be taken seriously1 not regarded as mere bric--brac or trifles4 ,i repeat1 we must insist upon a high standard4 ,we have a goodly heritage of beautiful work of unique historical value handed down to us1 and it is a duty to perpetuate this series1 so that the fair women and brave men of our own days shall not go unrepresented2 and thus shall we add our share to the treasures of our national art and earn the gratitude of posterity4 ,,index ,a ,amber1 ,millicent1 wife of ,william ,cobden1 #bef1 #beg ,amsterdam1 ,liotards at1 #bah ,anglo-,celtic1 see ,hibernian ,arlaud1 #bh ,ashmolean ,museum1 miniatures at1 #hc ,aubrey1 ,l4 ,f41 #cee ,audley1 ,lady1 by ,holbein1 #bhf ,augustin1 ,j4 ,b4 ,j41 quality of his work1 #cej1 #cea2 examples of1 in ,wallace ,collection1 #caj1 #cea2 his career1 #cea ,augustin1 ,j4 ,b4 ,j41 ,madame1 #cea ,b ,barbor jewel1 the1 #cae ,battersea enamels1 #hi ,belvoir1 miniatures at1 #bih ,bessborough family1 owners of ,liotards1 #bah ,betts1 ,j4 ,t41 #bh1 #aje1 #ajf1 #aji ,bibliothque ,nationale1 ,paris1 ,janets at1 #bhh ,biffin1 ,miss1 #ce ,boit1 ,charles1 #hc ,bonaparte1 ,napoleon ,i41 #cjh ,bonaparte1 ,caroline1 #cjh ,bonaparte1 ,jerome1 #cjh ,bonaparte1 ,louis1 #cjh ,bonaparte1 ,pauline1 #cjh ,bone1 ,henry1 #cj1 #ij ,bone1 ,henry ,pierce1 #cj1 #ic ,bone1 ,w41 #cj1 #ic ,bone1 ,c4 ,r41 #cj1 #ic ,bone1 ,p4 ,j41 #ca ,bordier1 ,jacques1 #ge1 #aih1 #bja ,bordier1 ,pierre1 #gf1 #bja ,boucher1 ,franois1 #cjh1 #ccg ,boucher1 ,madame1 #cch ,bourgeois1 ,c4 ,g4 ,a41 #ceb ,brandon1 ,alicia1 wife of ,n4 ,hilliard1 #big ,brandon1 ,charles and ,henry1 sons of the ,duke of ,suffolk1 by ,holbein1 #bhb ,british ,museum1 enamels at1 #gc ,buccleuch ,collection of ,miniatures1 the1 #bb1 #aah1 #abb1 #adj1 #adc1 #adi1 #afj1 #bic-ie1 #cjj ,burdett-,coutts ,collection1 #bih1 #bii ,byzantine work1 #ff1 #fi ,c ,camargo1 ,la1 portrait of1 #cji ,canterbury ,gospels1 #ec ,carlisle1 ,earl of1 his collection1 #bjf ,carlovingian school1 #ec ,carriera1 ,rosalba1 #ccd2 her character1 #ccd2 her pastels1 #ccg ,carter1 ,w41 #ce ,catherine of ,braganza1 by ,cooper1 at ,victoria and ,albert ,museum1 #caf ,chalon1 ,a4 ,e41 ,r4,a41 #ca1 #bga ,chalon1 ,j4 ,j41 ,r4,a41 #ca ,chalon1 ,miss ,m4 ,a41 #ca ,chalon1 ,h4 ,b41 #ca ,chantilly1 works by ,janet at1 #aaj1 #bhh2 reference to1 #ccb ,charles ,i41 his collection of miniatures1 #bb2 his miniature by ,petitot1 #bjf ,charles ,,ii41 by ,cooper1 #ahc1 #bia1 #cji2 by ,flatman1 in the ,wallace ,collection1 #cji2 his miniature by ,petitot1 #bjf ,charlemagne1 #ec ,charlier1 patronised by ,louis ,,xv41 #cch2 examples of1 at ,hertford ,house1 #cjf1 #cci ,charlotte1 ,queen1 by ,o4 ,humphrey1 #beb1 #bib ,chatillon1 ,c41 #cei ,chavant1 ,mlle41 imitator of ,petitot1 #bjb ,chinnery1 ,george1 #bdg ,claypole1 ,elizabeth1 #bid1 #big ,clive1 ,lord and ,lady1 portraits of1 #bdg ,clouet1 works by1 #ccc ,cobden family1 miniatures of1 #bef ,cobden1 ,william1 #bef ,cobden1 ,richard1 #bef ,cobden1 ,richard ,brooks1 #bei ,cobden ,unwin1 ,mrs41 miniatures belonging to1 #bef-ei ,collins1 ,richard1 #ca ,collins1 ,samuel1 #ca1 #bba1 #bea ,constantin1 ,mose1 imitator of ,petitot1 #bjb ,cooper1 ,samuel1 #ca1 #eg2 ,evelyn's reference to1 #ej2 his birth and career1 #age2 ,pepys's admiration for him1 #agf2 money value attaching to his miniatures1 #agi2 his portraits of the ,protector's family1 #agi1 #ahj2 merits of his work criticised1 #ahc2 examples in the ,royal ,collection1 #ahf2 at ,montague ,house1 #bid2 at ,welbeck1 #big2 at ,kensington1 #cad2 at ,victoria and ,albert ,museum1 #cae1 #cai ,cooper1 ,alexander1 #ca2 rarity of his work1 #ahf2 his death1 #ahf2 his inferiority to ,s4 ,cooper1 #ahg ,corneille de ,lyon1 #ccc ,cosway1 ,richard1 #ca2 his reputation1 #bcb2 his eccentricities1 #bcb2 his career1 #bce2 his training and dexterity1 #bce2 the number of his works1 #bcf2 and of forgeries of the same1 #bcf2 a great collector1 #bch2 his marriage1 #bch2 his character1 #bdb2 his technique1 #bde2 his portrait of the ,duchess of ,devonshire1 #bib2 his works at ,victoria and ,albert ,museum1 #cad ,cosway1 ,maria1 reference to1 #ca2 her parentage and marriage1 #bch2 her ability as a painter1 #bch1 #bda2 separates from her husband1 #bda2 retires to ,italy and dies1 #bdb ,courtois1 ,jehan1 #gj ,cromwell1 ,oliver1 by ,s4 ,cooper1 at ,montague ,house1 #bid ,crosse1 ,lawrence1 #ca2 his style of painting1 #bah2 examples at ,welbeck1 #bih ,crosse1 ,richard1 #ca ,cuper1 ,madeleine and ,margaret1 #gi ,d ,dartrey1 ,lord1 collection of1 #hj1 #bja ,dauphin1 ,janet's portrait of1 #bhg ,davis1 ,mary1 by ,s4 ,cooper1 #big ,day1 ,alexander1 #ca ,day1 ,thomas1 #ca ,dayes1 ,edward1 #ca de ,court1 ,suzanne1 #gj de ,heere1 ,lucas1 #aja de la ,chana1 ,alexandre1 imitator of ,petitot1 #bjb ,derby1 ,alfred1 #ca ,derby1 ,william1 #ca1 #bba ,devonshire1 ,duchess of1 portrait of1 #bch ,dickinson ,gallery1 exhibitions of miniatures at1 #bfd1 #bii ,digbys1 the1 portraits of1 #aej1 #aec1 #aed1 #bii ,dimier1 ,m41 on the ,clouets1 #cca2 on ,corneille de ,lyon1 #ccc ,dixon1 ,john1 #ca2 engraver1 #ca2 examples of1 in the ,buccleuch ,collection1 #big ,dixon1 ,n41 #ca1 #cb ,downman1 ,john1 ,a4,r4,a41 #bfh ,drake1 ,admiral1 by ,s4 ,cooper1 #big ,dubourg1 ,augustin1 #ceb ,dudman1 ,w41 miniature painter1 #bef ,dufey1 copyist of ,petitot1 #bjb ,dumont1 ,f41 his career1 #cdf2 character of his work1 #cdi ,dumont1 ,laurent ,n4 ,a41 #cdi ,du ,th1 ,mlle41 portrait of1 #cji ,dyce ,collection at ,victoria and ,albert ,museum1 #cae ,e ,edridge1 ,henry1 ,a4,r4,a41 #bfh2 his copies of ,reynolds and drawings1 ibid4 ,edward ,,vi41 by ,hilliard1 #bhf ,enamels1 early use of1 #fe2 cloisonn1 #ff2 champlev1 #fi2 ,limoges1 #gj ,engleheart1 ,george1 #cb2 his origin1 #bee2 characteristics of his style1 #bee2 number of his works1 #bee2 their rarity in our public collections1 #bef ,engleheart1 ,j4 ,c4 ,d41 #cg ,essex1 ,william1 #cb1 #ic1 #cae ,essex1 ,william ,b41 #cb ,ethelwald1 ,benedictional of1 #ef ,f ,felu1 ,c4 ,f41 #ce ,ferrier1 ,f41 #cb ,ferrier1 ,l41 #cb ,ferrand1 ,j4 ,p41 imitator of ,petitot1 #bjb ,fitzherbert1 ,mrs41 by ,r4 ,cosway1 #cji ,flatman1 ,t41 example of1 in ,dyce ,collection1 #caf ,foldsome1 ,miss1 see ,mee ,forster1 ,thomas1 portraits of ,duke and ,duchess of ,marlborough1 #cad ,fragonard1 ,j4 ,h41 examples of1 #caj1 #cci ,fragonard1 ,madame1 works by1 #caj ,french ,school1 as shown at ,hertford ,house1 #cjg2 its excellence1 #cbg ,g ,gardiner ,collection1 #gi ,geddes1 portrait of ,a4 ,plimer by1 #bdf ,george ,,iii41 patronises ,humphrey1 #beb2 patronises ,engleheart1 #bee ,george ,,iv41 miniature of1 #bde ,gibson1 ,richard1 #cb ,gibson1 ,penelope1 #cb ,gibson1 ,william1 #cb ,goupey1 ,louis1 #cb ,goupey1 ,joseph1 #cb ,goupey1 ,bernard1 #cb ,green1 ,mrs4 ,mary1 #cb ,green1 ,robert1 #cb ,gribelin1 ,isaac1 #gd ,grimaldi1 ,w41 copy by1 #cji ,gurin1 ,j41 #cee2 his career1 #cee2 his portrait of ,klber1 #cee ,gunning1 ,elizabeth1 ,duchess of ,hamilton1 #bbb ,gunning1 ,maria1 ,countess of ,coventry1 #bbb ,h ,hall1 ,p4 ,a41 #hj2 his portrait of ,marie ,antoinette1 #bje2 works by1 #cjg2 at ,hertford ,house1 #caj2 facility of his execution1 #cci2 characteristics of his work1 #cci2 his career1 #cdj2 high price fetched by his work1 #cdj ,hamilton1 ,lady ,elizabeth1 #bbb ,hargreaves1 ,thomas1 #bfg ,haughton 7or ,houghton71 ,moses1 #cb ,hayter1 ,charles1 #cb1 #bga ,hayter1 ,sir ,george1 #cb ,hazlitt1 ,william1 #bdb ,heins1 ,d41 #cb ,heins1 ,john1 #cb ,henderson1 ,r41 #eg ,henrietta1 ,duchess of ,orleans1 by ,petitot1 #bii ,henry ,,vii41 by ,hilliard1 #bhf ,henry ,,viii41 by ,holbein1 #bhe2 by ,hilliard1 #bhf ,henry ,frederick1 ,prince of ,wales1 miniature of1 #cf2 by ,i4 ,oliver1 #bhh ,henry1 ,duke of ,gloucester1 by ,s4 ,cooper1 #cad ,hertford ,house ,collection1 see ,wallace ,hibernian ,school of ,manuscript1 #ec ,hiles1 ,bartram1 #ce ,hilliard1 ,nicholas1 #cb2 his manner of painting1 #ci2 birth and parentage1 #abg2 employed by ,elizabeth1 ibid42 his death1 #aca2 examples of his work1 ibid41 #acf-dd1 #bhf1 #bhh1 #big1 #cad2 his method of painting and merits1 #acb-cf ,hilliard1 ,lawrence1 #cb1 #abh1 #aca ,holbein1 ,hans1 the ,younger1 the founder of miniature painting in ,england1 visits ,sir ,thomas ,more1 #aac2 portraits by him1 #aad2 taken into the service of ,henry ,,viii41 ibid42 collection of drawings and miniatures by1 at ,windsor1 ibid41 #aah1 #bhb2 at ,hertford ,house1 #cji2 other works by1 #aba1 #abb ,holmes1 ,sir ,richard1 on the ,royal ,collection1 #bha1 #bhb1 #bhg ,hone1 ,nathaniel1 ,r4,a41 #cb1 #hd1 #hg ,hone1 ,horace1 ,a4,r4,a41 #cb1 #hg ,hopkins1 ,thomas1 #cc ,hopkins1 ,william1 #cc ,horneband ,family1 #ajb ,hoskins1 ,john1 #cb2 his career1 his pupils1 #aff2 examples of work1 #afg2 his merits as a miniature painter1 #afg1 #afh2 his death1 #afi ,houin1 ,c4 ,j4 ,b41 #cde ,howard1 ,katherine1 #bhb ,hudson1 ,thomas1 ,master of ,cosway1 #bce ,hughes1 ,madame1 by ,s4 ,cooper1 #big ,humphrey1 ,ozias1 ,r4,a41 his qualities as a miniature painter1 #bdh2 compared with ,plimer and ,smart1 #bea2 his origin and career1 a pupil of ,collins1 #bea2 goes to ,italy1 #beb2 and ,india1 #bea2 his prices1 #bea2 examples of his powers as a copyist at ,knole1 #bee2 beauty of his work1 #bib2 his portrait of ,queen ,charlotte1 #bib ,hurter1 the ,brothers1 #hj ,i ,isabey1 ,j4 ,b41 his portrait of ,napoleon ,i41 #cjh2 painter to successive monarchs1 #cef2 examples at ,hertford ,house1 #caj1 #cef2 diverse nature of his work1 #ceg1 #ceh ,j ,james ,,ii41 by ,cooper1 #bia2 by ,petitot1 #bjf1 #bii1 #cjj ,janet1 ,franois1 his family1 #aji1 #cca2 his work at ,windsor1 #bhg2 by members of his family1 #ccc ,jansen1 ,s4 ,j41 #hi ,jennings1 ,sarah1 ,duchess of ,marlborough1 by ,b4 ,lens1 #cai ,jones ,collection1 #gf-hj1 #adh1 #aef1 #aic2 index of portraits in1 #cbj-bd ,josphine1 ,empress1 portraits of1 #cjg ,k ,kells1 book of1 #ec ,kensington1 ,loan ,collection at in #ahfe1 #aca1 #adc1 #add ,l ,lambert1 imitator of ,petitot1 #bjb ,laudin1 #gj ,lavreince1 ,nicholas1 #cdc2 his career and nature of his work1 #cdd ,leczinska1 ,marie1 portrait of1 #cjh ,legarr1 ,jules1 #bjg ,lens1 ,bernard1 #cb2 examples of1 at ,welbeck1 #bdh ,lens1 ,andrew ,b41 #cb ,lens1 ,peter ,p41 #cb ,lens family1 #bah ,limousin1 ,lenard1 #gj ,limousin1 ,jean1 #gj ,limousin1 ,joseph1 #gj ,limousin1 ,franois1 #gj ,linnell1 ,john1 #bfh ,liotard1 ,j4 ,e41 his work criticised1 examples at ,amsterdam and ,paris1 #bah ,loggan1 ,david1 portrait of ,sir ,g4 ,verney1 #cad ,louis ,,xv41 portrait of1 #cjh ,louis ,,xvi41 portrait of1 #cjh ,louis ,,xvii41 portrait of1 #cjh ,louis ,,xviii41 portrait of1 #cjh ,louvre1 enamels at1 #gc1 #bjf2 snuff-boxes1 #hj1 #bje2 ,le ,noir ,collection1 #bje2 ,liotards at1 #bah ,m ,mansion1 ,j41 works by1 #caj2 at ,hertford ,house1 #cac1 #cej ,marie ,louise1 portraits of1 #cjg ,mary1 ,queen of ,scots1 portraits of1 #aji1 #aaj1 #adc1 #bhg ,mass1 ,j4 ,b41 #ccg ,mayerne1 ,sir ,t4 de1 #ge1 #aid ,medici1 ,catherine de1 #ccb ,mee1 ,mrs41 #bfh ,meyer1 ,jeremiah1 ,r4,a41 #hg1 #hh1 #cae ,milton1 ,john1 by ,s4 ,cooper1 #big ,miniatures1 on the collecting of1 #bb2 forgeries of1 #bg1 #bcg2 on the care and preservation of1 #cf-db2 painted on several pieces of ivory1 #da2 origin of the art1 #de-eg2 and of the term1 #di2 method of painting1 #eh-fb ,miniature painters1 early1 #ig ,miniature painting1 its long history1 #cfc2 importance of perpetuating it1 #cfd1 #cfe ,monck1 ,george1 by ,cooper1 #ahc1 #bia ,monmouth1 ,duke of1 by ,cooper1 #ahc1 #bia2 by ,dixon1 #big ,more1 ,sir ,a41 #aje ,moser1 ,g4 ,m41 ,r4,a41 #cc1 #hg ,moser1 ,joseph1 #cc ,moser1 ,mary1 #cc1 #hh ,mosnier1 ,j4 ,l41 #cdd ,muss1 ,charles1 #hd ,n ,napoleonic period illustrated at ,hertford ,house1 #cjg ,netscher1 ,gaspar1 #bah ,newton1 ,richard1 #cc ,newton1 ,sir ,william ,j41 #cb1 #da1 #bga2 the number of his works1 ibid42 example at ,victoria and ,albert ,museum1 #cae ,nixon1 ,james1 #bba ,o ,o',keefe1 ,daniel1 #cc ,o',keefe1 ,john1 #cc ,oliver1 ,isaac1 #cc2 the ,oliver family1 #adg2 examples of ,isaac ,oliver's work1 #adi-afj ,oliver1 ,peter1 #cc2 his parentage and family1 #afa2 his copies ofold masters1 #afe2 his death1 #afa2 example at ,victoria and ,albert ,museum1 #cad ,olivers1 the1 in ,burdett-,coutts ,collection1 #bih1 #bii ,p ,pala d'oro1 #fi ,prin1 ,louis ,l41 #cdi ,perrot1 copyist of ,petitot1 #bjb ,petitot1 ,jean1 #bd1 #gd1 #ge1 #gi2 his origin1 #aid2 his arrival in ,england1 ibid2 introduction to ,charles ,i41 and friendship with ,van ,dyck1 #aig2 takes refuge in ,paris1 ibid42 his numerous portraits of ,louis ,,xiv41 #aih2 quits ,france and settles at ,geneva1 ibid42 his death at ,vevey1 ibid42 his copyists1 #bjb2 fine examples of his work1 #bjf1 #bii2 number of1 in ,jones ,collection1 #caf ,petitot ,fils1 #bja2 inferiority of his work to that of the elder ,petitot1 ibid4 ,plimer1 ,andrew1 #cc1 #bde2 parentage1 #cc1 #bde2 death1 #bdf2 his portrait in the ,scottish ,national ,gallery1 #bdf2 his group of the ,rushout girls1 #bdf2 examples of1 at ,victoria and ,albert ,museum1 #cad ,plimer1 ,nathaniel1 #cc1 #bde2 exhibits at ,royal ,academy1 #bde ,plott1 ,john1 #hg ,plumley ,collection at ,victoria and ,albert ,museum1 #cae ,pompadour1 portrait of1 #cjh ,pope1 ,alexander1 miniature painter and poet1 #cc ,portland1 ,duke of1 his collection1 #big2 ,coopers in1 #bih ,portsmouth1 ,duchess of1 by ,cooper1 #big ,powis1 earl of1 collection of1 #bdg ,prewitt1 ,w41 #hd ,primitifs ,franais1 ,exhibition of1 #ccb1 #ccd ,propert1 ,dr41 on forgeries1 #bcf1 #bcg ,prudhon1 ,p4 ,p41 #cej ,q ,quaglia1 ,f41 #ceh ,r ,radnor1 ,earl of1 collection of1 #bda ,raeburn1 ,sir ,henry1 #bfh ,raleigh1 ,sir ,walter1 and his son at ,belvoir1 #bih ,ramolino1 ,madame1 portrait of1 #cjg ,reymond1 ,pierre1 #gj ,reynolds1 ,sir ,joshua1 ,p4,r4,a41 referred to1 #bce1 #bea1 #bee ,robertson1 ,andrew1 his origin1 #cc1 #bfc2 his varied talents1 #bfc2 comes to ,london and makes ,b4 ,west his patron1 #bfd2 characteristics of his work1 #bfd2 his death and character1 #bfd ,robertson1 ,archibald1 #cc ,robertson1 ,alexander1 #cc ,robertson1 ,mrs4 ,a41 #cc ,robertson1 ,walter1 #cd ,robertson1 ,charles1 #cd ,rome1 ,king of1 portrait of1 #cjh ,romney1 ,george1 goes to ,italy with ,humphrey1 #beb ,ross1 ,h41 #cd1 #bgf ,ross1 ,mrs41 #cd ,ross1 ,h41 ,junr41 #cd ,ross1 ,miss ,maria1 #cd ,ross1 ,miss ,magdalene1 #cd ,ross1 ,sir ,william ,charles1 ,r4,a41 #cd2 his birth and parentage1 #bge2 his precocity1 #bge2 is patronised by ,royalty1 #bge2 the great number of his works1 #bge2 characteristics of his style1 #bgf2 many examples in the ,royal ,collection1 ibid41 #bib2 examples of1 at ,victoria and ,albert ,museum1 #cae ,rouvier1 ,m41 #cdf ,rouvigny1 ,rachel de1 her portrait1 #aig ,rupert1 ,prince1 by ,dixon1 #big ,rushout1 the ,misses1 ,plimer's miniature of1 #bdf1 #bdg ,rutland1 ,duke of1 his collection1 #bih ,s ,sadler1 ,thomas1 #cd ,sadler1 ,william1 #cd ,saint1 ,d41 #cei ,saunders1 ,george ,l41 #cd ,saunders1 ,joseph1 #cd ,saunders1 ,r41 #cd ,schreiber ,collection1 #hi ,seymour1 ,jane1 by ,hilliard1 #bhf ,sheepshanks ,gallery1 see ,victoria and ,albert ,shelley1 ,samuel1 #bba ,sheridan1 ,mrs41 #bea ,sherlock1 ,william1 #cd ,shipley's ,drawing ,school1 #bce1 #bdg ,sicardi1 or ,sicard1 ,l41 #cde2 charm of his colouring1 #cde2 example at ,hertford ,house1 #cde ,sidney1 ,sir ,philip1 by ,i4 ,oliver1 #bhh ,singleton1 ,joseph1 #cd ,singleton1 ,william1 #cd ,smart1 ,anthony1 #ce ,smart1 ,john1 #cd2 his birth and career1 #bdg2 goes to ,india1 #bdg2 qualities of his art1 #bdh ,smart1 ,john1 junr41 #cd1 #bdg ,smart1 ,samuel ,paul1 #cd ,smith ,thomas ,correggio1 #cd ,smith1 ,john ,raphael1 #cd ,snuff-boxes1 #gi2 their use in the eighteenth century1 #bje ,soutter1 ,j4 ,g41 imitator of ,petitot1 #bjb ,t ,teerling1 ,levyn1 #ajb ,thorburn1 ,robert1 ,a4,r4,a41 his method of painting large works on ivory1 #da2 his rapid rise1 #bga2 his method of making cabinet pictures1 #bge ,toutin1 ,jean1 #gd1 #aic ,toutin1 ,henri1 #ge ,u ,unwin1 ,mrs41 see ,cobden ,upsala1 ,,mss4 preserved at1 #eg ,v ,van ,cleef1 ,j41 #aje ,van der ,doort's catalogue1 #bhe1 #bhf1 #bhh ,van ,dyck1 ,sir ,a41 his friendship with ,petitot1 #aig ,victoria and ,albert ,museum1 enamels at1 #gc1 #gd1 #gf1 #ic2 snuff-boxes at1 #bje2 miniatures at1 #cac ,w ,waddesdon ,collection1 #gc1 #gd ,wallace ,collection1 miniatures in1 #cjd-cac2 snuff-boxes1 #gi ,walpole1 ,horace1 his criticisms1 #ahc1 #bii ,welbeck ,collection1 #big ,west1 ,benjamin1 ,p4,r4,a41 a patron of ,robertson1 #bfd2 his influence at ,court1 #bfd ,windsor1 collection at1 its extent1 #bhb1 #bia2 ,olivers at1 #adi1 #aej1 #afe1 #bhh ,wood1 ,william1 #bfg ,wright1 ,mrs41 see ,biffin ,z ,zincke1 ,c4 ,f41 #hc1 #cjj 99 99 99 99 99 ,,chats ,,on ,,old ,,furniture ,,by ,,arthur ,,hayden4 ,price #es4 net4 ,with a ,coloured ,frontispiece and many ,illustrations1 a ,list of ,sale ,prices1 and a ,full ,index4 ,mr4 ,hayden knows his subject intimately4--,pall ,mall ,gazette4 ,the hints to collectors are the best and clearest we have seen2 so that altogether this is a model book of its kind4--,athenum4 ,a useful and instructive volume4--,spectator4 ,an abundance of illustrations completes a well-written and well-constructed history4--,daily ,news4 ,mr4 ,hayden's taste is sound and his knowledge thorough4--,scotsman4 ,a book of more than usual comprehensiveness and more than usual merit4--,vanity ,fair4 ,mr4 ,hayden has worked at his subject on systematic lines1 and has made his book what it purports to be--a practical guide for the collector4--,saturday ,review4 ,,chats ,,on ,,old ,,china ,,by ,,arthur ,,hayden4 ,price #es4 net4 ,with ,coloured ,frontispiece and ,reproductions of #aef ,marks and #hi ,specimens of ,china4 ,a ,list of ,,sale ,,prices and a full ,,index increase the usefulness of the ,volume4 ,this is a handy book of reference to enable ,amateur ,collectors to distinguish between the productions of the various factories4 ,a handsome handbook that the amateur in doubt will find useful1 and the china-lover will enjoy for its illustrations1 and for the author's obvious love and understanding of his subject4--,st4 ,james's ,gazette4 ,all lovers of china will find much entertainment in this volume4--,daily ,news4 ,it gives in a few pithy chapters just what the beginner wants to know about the principal varieties of ,english ware4 ,we can warmly commend the book to the china collector4--,pall ,mall ,gazette4 ,one of the best points about the book is the clear way in which the characteristics of each factory are noted down separately1 so that the veriest tyro ought to be able to judge for himself if he has a piece or pieces which would come under this heading1 and the marks are very accurately given4--,queen4 ,,chats ,,on ,,old ,,prints ,,by ,,arthur ,,hayden4 ,price #es4 net4 ,with a ,coloured ,frontispiece and #aaj ,illustrations1 a ,table of ,engravers1 a ,bibliography1 a ,glossary1 and a ,full ,index4 ,mr4 ,hayden writes at once with enthusiasm and discrimination on his theme4--,daily ,telegraph4 ,any one who1 having an initial interest in matters of art1 wants to form sound and intelligent opinions about engravings1 will find this book the very thing for him4--,literary ,world4 ,these ',chats' comprise a full and admirably lucid description of every branch of the engraver's art1 with copious and suggestive illustrations4--,morning ,leader4 ,in #b vols41 royal #dto1 #e #es4 nett4 ,,miniature ,,painters3 ,british and ,foreign4 ,illustrated with numerous ,examples selected from celebrated ,collections4 ,,author',s ,,edition1 with all the ,plates1 many of them in the best style of ,photogravure1 printed upon fine ,plate ,paper4 ,mr4 ,foster's experience makes him a safe guide1 and leaves little to be desired4 ,mr4 ,foster is more fortunate than some other writers upon miniatures in possessing sound critical taste4 ,the splendid series of illustrations in photogravure which enrich the volumes 444 form in themselves a gallery of miniature art 444 admirably chosen4--,athenum4 ,,the ,,stuarts ,illustrated by #afth1 #agth1 and #ahth ,century ,art4 ,from the ,collections of ,his ,majesty the ,king1 ,h4,r4,h4 the ,duchess of ,albany1 the ,duke of ,bedford1 the ,duke of ,rutland1 ,k4,g41 ,earl ,spencer1 ,k4,g41 and many others4 ,containing #ac ,original ,etchings1 #aej ,full-page ,photogravures1 ,illustrations in ,colour1 and various ,facsimile ,letters1 ,medals1 ,maps1 c4 ,the glory1 pride1 and beauty of three centuries of ,english history are enshrined in these pages1 reproduced and made alive again before our eyes in all the glow of the best art of the past1 and with a fidelity of reproduction which it has been reserved for the modern world to invent4--,athenum4 ,a ,,popular ,,edition of the above with #cj ,illustrations now ready1 #a #es4 nett4 ,,concerning ,,the ,,true ,,portraiture ,,of ,,mary ,,queen ,,of ,,scots4 ,illustrated by ,large ,plates1 many in ,colour1 from ,authentic ,originals in the ,collections of ,his ,majesty the ,king1 the ,duke of ,devonshire1 the ,earl of ,leven and ,melville1 the ,earl of ,denbigh1 the ,duke of ,portland1 c4 ,the ,edition is ,,extremely ,,limited1 namely1 #age copies only of an ,,edition ,,de ,,luxe1 at #aj guineas nett4 ,mr4 ,foster's sumptuous and remarkable volume4444 ,a most exhaustive1 well-weighed1 well-balanced study4--,standard4 ,the author is as careful and exhaustive as he is critical4--,glasgow ,herald4 ,,the ,,centenary ,,edition ,,of ,,the ,,life ,,of ,,george ,,morland4 ,,by ,,george ,,dawe1 ,r4,a4 ,illustrated by #ef ,large ,plates in the finest ,photogravure4 ,,author',s ,,edition strictly limited to #bej copies at #c guineas nett each4 ,,french ,,art ,,from ,,watteau ,,to ,,prudhon4 ,this sumptuous ,work1 illustrating ,french art of the ,eighteenth ,century1 upon a scale never before attempted1 with ,essays by eminent ,french and ,english critics of the day1 ,,now ,,ready4 ,prospectuses of this and other ,volumes of the ,,dickinson ,,art ,,library may be had of all the important ,booksellers1 or post free on application at #aad1 ,new ,bond ,street1 ,london1 ,w4 ,,unwin ,,brothers1 ,,limited1 ,,the ,,gresham ,,press1 ,,woking ,,and ,,london