MINIATURES

They may be small but there’s much to admire in these pocket-sized works of art, says Nicky Gould, and there are still excellent examples at the lower end of the market

The market for jewel-like miniature portraits remains strong. Nicky Gould unlocks their history

‘Miniatures were very popular in the 1980s, which is when I !rst became interested in them. They aren’t always signed, or the signature is hidden, and I was fascinated by the way that you can identify an artist by their brushstrokes, or perhaps the detailing or the backgrounds. There are lots of fakes, so you need to develop an eye – are the colours correct for the period, for instance? And you need to know your history: early pieces were painted on prepared card, copper, vellum or enamel. In around 1710, the Venetian artist Rosalba Carriera discovered that painting on ivory added a beautiful luminosity to skin tones. If a piece is painted on ivory, it is from the 18th century onwards. Collectors can be reassured that miniatures painted on slivers of ivory that are at least 100 years old are exempt from the ivory ban. The WWF took the view that, as works of art, miniatures are about the si"ers and paintwork, not the ivory, which is simply the surface material.

‘The most important names for the 18th century are George Engleheart, John Smart and Richard Cosway, and prices for works by these artists start at around £1,500. The late 18th century to Regency period is the great era of the miniature. There was a resurgence in the early 20th century, so look out for deco miniatures, particularly work by Mabel Lee Hankey.’