AUCTION OF THE MONTH
25th, Fine Portrait Miniatures Including The Comerford Collection, Chiswick Auctions
Hot on the heels of last year’s blockbuster miniatures exhibition at the National Portrait Gallery, which has kickstarted a revival in the art form, comes an entire auction dedicated to the subject. On 25th March, Chiswick Auctions will sell 160 portrait miniatures in its first sale focusing purely on these tiny and intimate images.
Suzanne Zack, head of sale and specialist in portrait miniatures at Chiswick, has specialised in the field for over 20 years and has introduced miniatures sales to the auction house since joining three years ago. She is thrilled this dedicated sale includes The Comerford Collection. ‘John and Pauline Comerford began collecting in the 1970s,’ she says. ‘They descended from the Irish miniaturist John Comerford (c1770-1832), which sparked their fascination in the field. They started with works by some of the leading Irish miniaturists of the late 18th and early 19th centuries and, as their collection grew, they were able to show the evolution of miniature painting in Britain, Ireland and the continent from the late 16th to the 19th centuries. The family now wants to pass the collection on to the next generation of enthusiasts.’
The sale showcases 121 pieces from The Comerford Collection and features the work of some of the greatest exponents of the art form, including Christian Friedrich Zincke, Jean André Rouquet, Nathaniel Hone and Richard Cosway. It also includes important works sourced from other private collections.
One of the highlights is a rare portrait miniature of the Pre-Raphaelite painter William Holman Hunt by Edward Robert Hughes, which was commissioned by Hunt’s wife after his death. ‘It is so beautiful and has such an exquisite setting in its original Arts and Crafts frame, set with topaz, rubies and diamonds. I’ve never seen anything quite like it,’ says Suzanne. ‘This sale has some fantastic examples of portrait miniatures. It’s been a wonderful opportunity for me to handle them.’
Portrait miniatures vary in size from just under one inch high to about three inches. ‘They were traditionally designed to be worn as lockets or bracelets or hung like a pocket watch,’ Suzanne adds. ‘This image of a loved one would have been held close to a person – much like a photo on a phone today.’
Estimates range from £150 to £10,000-£15,000. Suzanne will be giving a talk on the history of portrait miniatures at the South Kensington branch of Chiswick Auctions on 11th March.