YALE UNIVERSITY LIBRARY d&e £f$UAeMbe ^c/lecfam, FORMED BY James Abraham Hillhouse, BA. 1749 James Hillhouse, B.A. 1773 James Abraham Hillhouse, B.A. 1808 James Hillhouse, BA. 1875 Removed 1942 from the Manor House in Sachem's Wood GIFT OF GEORGE DUDLEY SEYMOUR This book was digitized by Microsoft Corporation in cooperation with Yale University Library, 2008. You may not reproduce this digitized copy of the book for any purpose other than for scholarship, research, educational, or, in limited quantity, personal use. You may not distribute or provide access to this digitized copy (or modified or partial versions of it) for commercial purposes. THE CONNOISSEUR SERIES. Edited by Gleeson White. PORTRAIT MINIATURES. THE CONNOISSEUR SERIES. Edited by Gleeson White. PORTRAIT MINIATURES : from the time of Holbein, 1531, to that of Sir William Ross, i860. By George C. Williamson, Litt.D. With numerous Illustrations. Demy 8vo. 12s. (yd. net. HISTORICAL PORTRAITS : some Notes on the Painted Portraits of Celebrated Characters of England, Scotland and Ireland. By H. B. Wheat LEY, F.S.A. With Seventy-four Illustrations taken direct from the originals. Demy 8vo. \os. dd. net. JAPANESE ILLUSTRATION : being a History of the Arts of Wood-cutting and Colour Printing in Japan. By Edward F. Strange, MJ.S. With Eight coloured and Eighty- eight Black-and-White Illustrations. Demy 8vo. \2s. bd. net. THE ART OF THE HOUSE. By Rosamund Marriott Watson. With numerous Illustrations. Demy 8vo. 6s. net. PICTURE POSTERS. By Charles Hiatt. With One Hundred and Fifty Reproductions ofthe most Artistic Examples of all Countries. Demy 8vo. 12s. 6d. net. LONDON: GEORGE BELL AND SONS. PORTRAIT MINIATURES FROM THE TIME OF HOLBEIN 1 53 1 TO THAT OF SIR WILLIAM ROSS i860. A HANDBOOK FOR COLLECTORS BY GEORGE C. WILLIAMSON, Litt.D. LONDON: GEORGE BELL AND SONS YORK STREET, COVEXT GARDEN, MDCCCXCVII CI1ISWICK PRESS :— CHARLES WHITTINGHAM AND CO. TOOKS COURT, CHANCERY LANE, LONDON. PREFACE. In treating of miniatures it is impossible to avoid reference to the standard book on the subject, — Dr. Propert's " History of Miniature Art." He has practically covered the entire ground in his volume, and having devoted the greater part of a well-spent life to its study, is facile princeps with regard to the art. Both to my good friend the author, and to his volume, I cordially acknowledge my indebtedness, and if in any way I have quoted him without acknow ledging the reference, I beg he will forgive me for the oversight. From its very sumptuous character, his volume is beyond the reach of many col lectors, and in the absence of a smaller handbook, this work has been compiled. For many biographical notes I would acknowledge the assistance that I have received from such well-known works as Walpole's "Anecdotes" and "Letters," Bryan's " Dictionary," and Lord Ronald Gower's " Art Treasures of England." The Burlington Fine Arts Club Catalogue, very much of which was compiled by Dr. Propert, and which is inaccessible to the general vi PREFACE. public, has also been laid under contribution, and use has been made of various articles on miniatures by Mr. Holmes, Mr. Foster, Mr. Burn, and other writers. For the accounts of Richard Cosway, of his pupils Andrew and Nathaniel \Plimer, and of John Smart, I alone am responsible. Most of this matter is new to the public, and is the result of original and careful research. For all the details as to various collec tions and their contents, and for the whole of Chapters I., IX., X., and XL, I alone must be held responsible, and for the general scheme of the volume. The chapters on workers in enamel and on foreign minia turists have necessarily been compiled from books and catalogues issued on the con tinent. These I have carefully examined, and many of the statements they contain have been verified or corrected. \\ ith regard to Andrew Robertson, I would tender my thanks to his daughter, Miss Emily Robertson, for the information placed at my disposal, both from the memoirs of her father and from family papers. For the illustrations I am warmly grateful to all the owners of miniatures who have generously permitted their treasures to be photographed and reproduced. Specially in this place would I tender an acknowledgment of very grateful thanks to Her Majesty the Queen, who has added to PREFACE. Vll her many gracious acts on my behalf the permission to reproduce in this volume any of the miniatures in the royal collection. To the amateur collector I present my volume, and I trust that in his hands it may be of some service. I hope it may stimulate him to pursue with greater knowledge and enthusiasm the collection of miniatures, and I am sure that their fascination will amply repay him for his pains, and the beauty of the treasures he accumulates will be a constant source of delight to him, and an incentive to the further study both of history and of art. George C. Williamson. The Mount, Guildford, Surrey. 1897. TABLE OF CONTENTS. PACE Preface . . . . . v List of Illustrations xi Chap. I. The Amateur Collector . i II. Early Miniaturists . . . iS III. Hilliard, Oliver and Cooper . 24 IV. Eighteenth Century Miniatur ists . . . -44 v cosway and the plimers 6 1 VI. Nineteenth Century Work ~S VII. Painters in Enamel . . 89 VIII. Foreign Miniaturists . . 115 IX. Modern Work . . . .124 X. Bibliography . 133 XI. Notable Collections . . .142 Inden .... . . . 167 LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS. N.B. — The copyright and privilege of reproduction for a'l the illustrations in this volume are strictly retained by the author on behalf of the various owners of the miniatures. Many of the photographs have been taken specially for use in this work by Messrs. Elliott and Fry, Mr. W. E. Gray, Mr. James Hyatt, Messrs. Harrison of Lincoln, and Messrs. Hinton and Robinson of Guildford. The collotypes are by Mr. James Hyatt of Great Russell Street, and the process blocks by Messrs. Waiker and Boutall. Some ofthe collotypes are, by kind permission ofthe author and Messrs. Sampson Low and Co., copied from Lord Ronald Gower's monumental work on Historic Galleries of England. Special thanks are due to Doctor Lumsden Propert and the Fine Art Society for permission to reproduce several of the minia tures from the Propert Collection recently dispersed. Many of the miniatures are specially recorded on the plates as signed and dated. It must not be taken that those so marked are the only ones signed or dated, but in cases where it was important to record a master's signature, or an important date, or the differ ence between the miniature illustrated and the usual work of the artist, it has been done as a guide and help to the collector. PAGE Lady Ravens-worth, Lady Paul, and Miss Simpson. By Andrew Plimer. Owner, C. J. YVertheimer, Esq. . I Harry, last Duke of Bolton. Owner, Hon. Mrs. Forester. Edmund, 8th Earl of Cork. Owner, Lady Sarah Spencer. Lady Hamilton. From the Hughes Anderdon Collection. Three plates on one page. All by Richard Cosway, R.A. 2 Mr. and Mrs. Ellis. Owner, the Earl of II- chester. William S. Poyntz, Esq. Owner, Lady Sarah Spencer. Three plates on one page. All by Andrew Plimer 4 A GlRL'^ Head. By an unknown eighteenth cen tury artist, one ofa set of seven, of very unusual colouring and technique. Owner, Robert Dicker, Esq. . . . ... 6 Xll LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS. PAiiE Queen Marie Antoinette. By M. V. Costa. Owner, J. Ward-Usher, Esq 8 Queen Catharine of Braganza, Wife of Charles II. By Nathaniel Dixon. From Princess Charlotte's Collection. Jane Hyde, Countess of Essex. By Bernard Lens. Signed and dated 1722. Both belonging to J. Ward-Usher, Esq 10 The Misses Berry. Friends of Horace Walpole. By George Engleheart. From the Goldsmid Collection. Owner, C. J. Wertheimer, Esq. . . 12 George Monk, Duke of Albemarle. By Samuel Cooper. Owner, Her Majesty the Queen 14 Captain Faulkner. By George Engleheart. Owner, the Earl of Wharncliffe ... . . 16 HENRV VIII. Two miniatures by an unknown artist who was in England prior to Holbein's first visit in 1526. Owner, Her Majesty the Queen . . 18 Lady Audley and Charles, Son of Charles Brandon, Duke of Suffolk. Both by Hol bein. Owner, Her Majesty the Queen .... 20 Catherine Howard, Wife of Henry VIII., and Henry, Son of Charles Brandon, Duke of Suffolk. Both by Holbein. Owner, Her Majesty the Queen 22 Princess Elizabeth. By Sir Antonio More. An oil miniature painted on slate. From the Propert Collection. Queen Anne of Denmark. By Isaac Oliver. Owner, Her Majesty the Queen . 24 The Four Miniatures by Nicholas Hilliard from the Bosworth Jewel belonging to Her Majesty the Queen . . ... 26 Nicholas Hilliard. By Himself. Owner, Mr. J. W. Whitehead 26 Henry, Prince of Wales. By Isaac Oliver. Owner, Her Majesty the Queen ... 28 George Clifford, Earl of Cumberland. Philip Howard, Earl of Arundel. Queen Elizabeth. Three plates on one page. All by Isaac Oliver, and belonging to the Earl of Carlisle ... 30 LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS. Xlll PAGE Arthur Capel, Earl of Essex, and the Countess of Essex, in1 one group. By Peter Oliver. Owner, the Earl of Carlisle .... 30 James I., Robert Devereux, Earl ok Essex, and Frances, Countess of Essex. Three plates on one page. All by Isaac Oliver. Owner, the Earl of Carlisle 32 /Another Miniature of Frances Howard, Countess OF Essex. By Isaac Oliver. Belong ing to the Earl of Derby . . 32 Two Miniatures of Queen Anne of Den mark. By Isaac Oliver. One belonging to Her Majesty the Queen and the other to the Earl of Carlisle . . 34 Robert Devereux, Earl of Essex. By John Hoskins. Owner, Her Majesty the Queen . . 36 Robert, Earl of Somerset, Lucius Cary Viscount Falkland, and James I. Three plates on one page. All by John Hoskins, and belonging to Her Majesty the Queen ... 36 Oliver Cromwell. By Samuel Cooper. Owner, the Duke of Devonshire 38 Margaret, Countess Spencer. By Thomas Gibson. Owner, the Earl of Carlisle .... 40 John, Lord Somers, Lord High Chancellor. Signed and dated 1683. By Thomas Flatman ; - and A NOBLEMAN WEARING THE RIBBON OF THE GARTER, attributed to one of the Cleyn family, and signed in monogram. Owner, DorJlor Williamson 42 Thomas Flatman. By Himself. Owner, the Duke of Buccleuch; and Sir Thomas Hen shaw. By the same artist. Also the artist's signature and date at the back of the miniature. Owner, Ernest A. Lloyd, Esq 42 The Countess of Peterborough. By Law rence Crosse. Owner, C. E. Lees, Esq. A Gentleman in Armour. By Nathaniel Dixon. From the Propert Collection 44 The Wife of Bernard Lens. By A. B. Lens, signed in monogram. Owner, J. Ward-Usher, Esq 46 XIV LIST OF ILLUSTRATION^. PAGE Their Royal Highnesses the Duke of Vork and Duke of Clarence as Boys. By Jere miah Meyer, R.A. Owner, C J. Wertheimer, Esq. 46 Four Portraits of Ladies. On one page. All by John Smart, and signed and dated. Owner, C J. Wertheimer, Esq. 4^ John M.xterman. By John Smart. COLONEL the Honourable Thomas Fane. By Richard Cos-way, R.A. Both belonging to J. Ward- Usher, Esq. . 4,s Queen Charlotte. By Ozias Humphrey. Owner, Her Majesty the Queen . . .... 50 Another Miniature of Queen Charlotte. By the same artist ; and one of GEORGIANA, Duchess of Devonshire. Both from the Royal Collection 5° A Third Portrait of Queen Charlotte. By the same artist, but after Gainsborough. Owner, Her Majesty the Queen 52 The Duchess of Gloucester, from the Royal Collection; and Lady Grace Duckett, from the Propert Collection. Both by the same artist 52 The Countess of Derby and her Daughter, from the Whitehead Collection, and a Lady and Child, from the Propert Collection. Both by Samuel Shelley . 54 Abdul Khan, by William Wood ; and the Honourable Mrs. Finch, by an unknown contemporary artist. Both belonging to J. Ward-Usher, Esq 54 Three Ladies, by George Engleheart ; two from the Wertheimer Collection and one from the Propert Collection . 56 Horace Walpole, Earl of Orford, by Nathaniel Dixon. Signed and dated 1760, from the Whitehead Collection . .... 56 Two Miniatures of Ladies, by George Engle heart ; and one that is either by George or by J. D. Engleheart. All three belonging to C. J. Wertheimer, Esq. . ... 56 A Man with Three Children. Attributed to Charles Sheriff. Owner, C. J. Wertheimer, Esq. 58 LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS. XV PAGE A LADY, by Samuel Cotes, from the Propert Collection ; and Lady Frances Howard, by the same artist. From the Earl of Carlisle's Colle&ion 58 GEORGE III. By William Grimaldi. Owner, Her Majesty the Queen 60 Alexander, 4TH Duke of Gordon. Dated 1805. By the same artist. From the White head Collection 60 Peter Burrell, afterwards ist Lord Gwydyr, Lady Priscilla Burrell, his wife, afterwards Baroness Willoughby de Eresby in her own right, and Robert, her brother, 4TH AND Last Duke of Ancaster and Kesteven. Three plates on one page, all by Richard Cosway, R.A., and belonging to the Hon. Willoughby Burrell . 62 General Harvey. A very early work by Cosway. Belonging to the Hon. Mrs. James Stuart Wortley 62 Lady Caroline Howard, afterwards Lady Cawdor, and Another Lady. Both by Cos- way. From the Earl of Carlisle's Collection . . 64 William, 5TH Duke of Devonshire, and William Spencer, 6th Duke of Devon shire. Both by Cosway. From the Duke of Sutherland's Collection 64 Henrietta, Duchess of Portland, as a CHILD ; owner, the Duke of Portland ; and THOMAS Lord Lyttelton ; owner, the Vis count Cobham. Both by Cosway. Also an illustration of the exquisite enamel and jewel work at the back of the last named miniature . 66 Lady Elizabeth Foster. By Cosway. Signed and dated 1784. Owner, J. Ward-Usher, Esq. . 68 George IV. as a Child, being the first miniature Cosway painted of the king, from the Propert Colleftion, Two Children of William, 5TH Duke of Devonshire, also by Cosway, be longing to the Hon. Blanche Pitt 68 Large and very fine Miniature of a Lady. By Andrew Plimer. Belonging to C. J. Werthei mer. Esq 70 XVI LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS. PAGE Cosway's usual Signature (in the letterpress) . 71 Lady Affleck and her Daughters. A group by Andrew Plimer. Belonging to Ernest A. Lloyd, Esq. 72 Lady Augusta Elizabeth Finch. By Andrew Plimer ; and Mrs. Ball, attributed to James Nixon. Both belonging to C. J. Wertheimer, Esq. 74 Three Miniatures, by Plimer, of Georgiana, Duchess of Devonshire ; two belonging to the Earl of Carlisle, and one from the Joseph Collection . . 76 Miniature of a Lady. By the same artist. Belonging to C. J. Wertheimer, Esq 76 A Gentleman, in the special ivory frame described on page jj. Owner, the Earl of Ilchester. Maria, Countess Waldegrave. Owner, the Earl of Portarlington. Both by Richard Cosway, R.A. . 76 John Trumbull. By Andrew Robertson. Owner, J. W. Whitehead, Esq 78 Another Miniature, by the same artist, and from the same Collection, representing Lieut.- General Sir T. Hislop 80 Mrs. Robinson. By William Wood. From the Whitehead Collection 82 Eliza Farren, Countess of Derby. By Sir Thomas Lawrence, P. R.A. Owner, Her Majesty the Queen . . . . . .... -84 Another Miniature, by the President, repre senting Mrs. Siddons, and now belonging to the National Gallery 84 The Prince of Wales and The Empress Frederick as Children. By Sir William Ross. Owner, Her Majesty the Queen. (Block used by permission of the " Gentlewoman ") . . 86 Three Enamels, by Petitot, from the Earl of Carlisle's Collection, representing LOUTS XIV., Arthur, Earl of Essex, and Philippe, Due d'Orleans 88 Four more Enamels, by the same artist, from the same Collection, representing the Due d'Or- leans, Louis XIV., Cardinal Mazarin and A Gentleman .... n~ LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS. xvii I'Ai : E Another Enamel, by Petitot, of Louis XIV, and a Miniature by Isabey of NAPOLEON I. Both from the Ward-Usher Collection .... 94 Enamel of Rachel, Countess of South ampton. By Petitot. Signed and dated 1643. Belonging to the Duke of Devonshire .... 98 An Enamel, by Petitot, of Louis XIV., on a gold box, and three enamels by the brothers J. P. and A. Hualt, from the Schuldt Collection .... 100 The Duchess of Buckingham and her Son. By C. F. Zincke. Belonging to J. Ward-Usher, Esq 102 COLLEY Cibber. By W. Robinson. Owner, Her Majesty the Queen 104 William Meyer. By Jeremiah Meyer. Owner, J. W. Whitehead, Esq 106 Jack Banister, by Henry Edridge, from the Pro- pert Collection ; and Miss SCOTT, an enamel by- Henry Bone, R.A., from the Duke of Portland's Collection 108 His Royal Highness the Prince Regent. By Henry Bone, R.A. An enamel belonging to H.R.H. the Duke of Cambridge, K.G. ... 110 Another Enamel of George III. by Henry Bone, R.A., and a miniature by Gauci of La Duchesse d'Angouleme. Signed and dated. Both from the Ward-Usher Collection . . . . 112 Elizabeth I. and Elizabeth II. of Russia. By Elfenbein von Meuret (Russian artist). From the Schuldt Collection 114 Two Miniatures of Mary, Queen of Scots, and one of Francis Dauphin of France. All by Francois Clouet, and from the Royal Collection 116 Napoleon I. By Mademoiselle Herbelin. Peter the Great of Russia. By Elfenbein von Meuret. Both from the Schuldt Collection . Madame Recamier. By P. A. Hall. Ownei J. Ward-Usher, Esq The Empress Josephine and the Empress Marie Louise. Both by Isabey. Owner, J Ward-Usher, Esq • • ¦ b 118 120122 XV111 LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS. PAGE J. Lumsden Propert, Esq. .By Alfred Praga (Vice-President Society of Miniaturists) ... 124 Three Miniatures of Ladies, one being of MRS. John Smart. By Ernest Lloyd (Treas. Society of Miniaturists) . . ¦ . . . . . . ¦ 126 Miniature of the Late Mr. Mattieu Wil liams, and another of A Child's Head. By Alyn Williams (President Society of Miniature Painters) . 128 Gwendolen M. Williamson (daughter of the author). By Ida Lovering, of the Society of Miniaturists ....;.:..::. 1 30 George IV. An unfinished miniature. By John Russell, R.A. Owner, RH. Webb, Esq. . . . 132 Richard Brinsley Sheridan. By J. D. Engle heart. From the Propert Collection. (These two miniatures by permission of Cassell and Co.). 134 Another Unfinished Work by John Russell, R.A., representing Mrs. YOUNG. Owner, F. H. Webb, Esq : ....... 136 General Bell. Owner, Miss Poynter. Miss BACON, 1785. Owner, Mrs. Knolleke. Both by John Russell, R.A 138 Lady Rodney. By Nathaniel, or Andrew, Plimer. Owner, C. J. Wertheimer, Esq 14° Frances Howard, Countess of Somerset ; and George Villiers, Duke of Bucking ham. Both by Isaac Oliver. From the Royal Collection 142 Charles II. By Samuel Cooper. Owner, Her Majesty the Queen 144 James, 2nd Duke of Richmond. By Alexander Cooper. Owner, Her Majesty the Queen . . . 146 Lady Lyttelton. By William John Thompson. Owner, H.R.H. the Duke of Cambridge, K.G. . 146 The Countess of Euston. By John Hoppner, R.A. Signed. From the Whitehead Collection 148 Margaret Woffington. Attributed to Zoffany. Owner, Her Majesty the Queen 148 Two Miniatures of Ladies. By unknown eighteenth century artists. From the Woodrone Collection . . .... 1 so LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS. XIX PAGE Mrs. Jagger {nie Hamilton). By Thomas Har- greaves, of Liverpool. Owner, Miss Fletcher . 152 Three Miniatures. From the Propert Collection. Queen Jane Seymour. By Holbein. Samuel , Butler. By David Loggan. Lady Duckett. By Humphrey 154 The Duchess of Gordon and Mrs. Moffat. By Richard Cosway, R.A. From the same Collection 156 Lady Northwick and a Lady. By Nathaniel Plimer. From the same Collection 156 A Lady. By William Wood. From the White head Collection. Signed 158 Madame Le Brun. By Rouvier. Signed and dated 1785. Madame La Duchesse de Ne mours. By P. Daubigny. Signed. Both be longing to Mr. J. Ward-Usher 160 Madame La Princesse de Lamballe, by Frago- nard, and two enamels, Kitty Fisher, after Sir Joshua Reynolds, and Kitty Clive, by Zincke. All from the Ward-Usher Collection .... 162 The Princess Borghese, sister of Napoleon I. By Bianca Anguissola. Signed. From the same Collection 162 Mary, Queen of SCOTS, in a ring by an unknown artist, and AUGUSTUS THE STRONG, by Ding- linger, mounted in the ivory figure of a pedlar. From the same Collection 162 Gregory, William, iith Baron Saye and Sele. By George Engleheart. Thomas May. By Samuel Cooper. Miss LlNDECK. By George Chinnery. Owner, Doctor William son 164 Charles II. By David Loggan. Pencil drawing on vellum from life for the engraving. Owner, Doctor Williamson 164 Eliza, Countess of Derby. Georgiana, Duchess of Devonshire. Belonging to the Earl of Wharncliffe. Also The COUNTESS of Shaftesbury and Lady Barbara Ashley. Belonging to Lord de Mauley. All by Richard Cosway, R.A 166 XX LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS. PAGE The two Children of the Earl of Bess- borough. By the same artist. Also belonging to Lord de Mauley 168 Mrs. William Russell and A Military Man. By John Russell, R.A 170 ANDREW PLIMER, 1763-1837- TTTTTEnnnKTrHITnLi LADY RAVENSWORTH, LADY PAUL, AND MISS SIMPSON. Owner C J. Wertheimer, Esq. MINIATURES. CHAPTER I. THE AMATEUR COLLECTOR. It is unnecessary in a handbook of this description to make any reference in the opening chapter to illuminated manuscripts, and to the early miniatures which are to be found on the pages of such manuscripts, whether in missals or psalters. My object in the following pages is to introduce the amateur collecior, using the word amateur in its widest and best sense, to portrait miniatures only. I wish to give him some brief information as to the artists who painted them, the technique and style of each artist or period of work, the class of miniature produced, for which the collector should search, and the forgeries of original work which will present themselves to him, and which he must carefully avoid. I have no intention of entering into the vexed question of etymology of the word " miniature," nor of presenting my readers with a well prepared definition of the term, as I am convinced that those for whom this B 2 MINIATURES. book is to be of service are already in possession of their own definition. I have to deal with portraits " painted in little," as these fascinating pictures were originally termed ; with minute representa tions of the human face and form painted upon card, vellum, or ivory, or prepared in enamel, of such size as to be easily carried in a pocket, — the work of men differing as widely in period and in technique as Holbein and Ross, Cosway and Hayter. I take it that my readers will not generally include the wealthy collectors who can, at the auction rooms of Messrs. Christie or in the repositories of New Bond Street, pur chase the finest and rarest examples of miniature art regardless of all cost. Such collectors will necessarily possess Dr. Propert's " History of Miniature Art," and the catalogues of the Burlington Fine Arts Club, and of the great collections. My readers will, I hope, be the far more numer ous class who indulge in a taste for these delightful portraits, with the caution and deliberation that is begotten of a moderate income and who possess but small means to apply to the luxury of collecting. Miniature colleding for such a person is not an impossible joy. If carefully con ducted it may be a supreme pleasure, and even a profitable investment, if so sordid a consideration may be mentioned. In one way the miniature collector has an advantage RICHARD COSWAY, R.A. 1740-1821. harry, sixth and last duke of bolton. Owner the Hon. Mrs. Forester. EDMUND, EIGHTH EARL OF CORK. LADY HAMILTON. Owner Lady Sarah Spencer. Hughes Anderdon Collectioi* THE AMATEUR COLLECTOR. 3 over very many of his own order. His science is not burdened with technical phrases, and he has not, like the print collector, to dis tinguish carefully between first and second states, brilliant and rich impressions, mezzo tints and etchings, nor does he trouble himself with proofs, varieties, and mint marks, as does the numismatist ; nor with water- marks, perforations, limited issues, and sheet letters, as does the philatelist ; nor with all the varied phrases in which the conchologist, entomologist, and bibliophile love to distinguish the divisions of their science. The collector of miniatures, however, has an advantage which he shares with the collector of fine prints, the philatelist, and the numismatist, and which, perchance, the bibliophile or violin collector envies him. His collection is portable, and he can carry its gems in his pocket and take them with him from place to place to exhibit to his friends. The collector of fine miniatures must, I take it, be for some time the general collector of miniatures. Experience alone — and that experience begotten of years of collect ing and acquired in the auction room, in conversations with collectors and dealers, in careful study of fine specimens and well- known collections — will give him the judg ment necessary to the collection of choice examples of the art. I cannot offer to make MINIATURES. the tyro into a connoisseur by my pages, and still less to instruct him in all the wisdom needed to detect a master's hand or dismiss a forged miniature. He will prob ably, in acquiring that wisdom, have to purchase many an unimportant miniature, and even acquire some that are fraudulent copies. As in every phase of life, he must buy his experience ; and he will find, as every collector does, that experience once acquired remains in the form of a trained judgment, and a facility for detection that no amount of bookwork will ever ex plain or transfer. A collection embracing only fine picked specimens will be beyond the reach of the collector for whose use this book is com piled, but it is quite possible for a collection to be formed by the man of moderate means whose income is from six hundred, say, to a thousand a year, which shall include some really good examples of the works of the great masters. When I recommend general collecting at first it is not that I would advise the formation of a large collection of ordinary and unimportant miniatures. The rule should be constantly to weed out value less pictures and retain fine examples, as in the end the entire value of a collection is oftentimes ruined by the overwhelming mass of rubbish that covers the few fine treasures, A small and carefully selected collection is of far greater value. At first the col- ANDREW PLIMER. 1763-1837. MRS. ELLIS. MR. ELLIS. Owner the Earl of Ilchester. WILLIAM S. POYNTZ, ESQ. " Owner Lady Sarah Spencer. THE AMATEUR COLLECTOR. 5 lector will not only frequent the auction rooms of the Metropolis, but will search the provincial jewellers' and pawnbrokers' estab lishments in quest of his spoil, and gather ing up whatever appeals to him as beautiful, or as well drawn and coloured, will bear home for more careful investigation the fruits of his search. He will in this way better learn to trust his own judgment, and so will better educate it than by lingering at Christie's sales and bidding only for those miniatures which he notices are admired by the dealers, and for which they are eagerly competing. It is certain that by promiscuous buying he will acquire some rubbish. There are many common, wretched daubs called minia tures to be seen ; there were great masters in the old days, but they had a host of followers who copied their work and pro duced pictures that have hardly any merit. These will certainly fall into the col lector's net, but, nevertheless, this method of collecting is the right one if judgment is desired. The rubbish need not be re tained, or if retained may be put into a separate case and eventually handed over to some auctioneer or kindly dealer, to be disposed of even at a loss. There is another method of collecting, and which differs in every way from the one just mentioned. It consists in the purchase only of genuine and fine minia- 6 MINIATURES. tures under the advice of some eminent collector, expert or trustworthy dealer, and in giving a large sum for a choice picture rather than many smaller sums for mere ordinary ones. Such a method of collecting is admirable for those who can afford it, and its results are undoubtedly good. If adopted, however, by the man of moderate means he must be prepared to make his purchases very seldom, perhaps only once or twice a year, and he will gather together a small choice collection. It will not however be a comprehensive one. He will also be ignorant of many of the lesser masters and their works, and his judgment will not be tested and strengthened as, by constant purchase and frequent error, it should be. The collector will also have the great disadvantage of being swayed by capricious fashion, which will rule his purchases as it rules the world. Miniatures, like all other precious objects, vary in price according to the prevailing mode, and the collector of fine specimens only will find the prices vary for his treasures according as one artist or another, one period or another, happens to be in demand. As the result of some careful considera tion I am therefore disposed to recommend, even with all its drawbacks, general and pro miscuous collecting at first. To a collector possessed of a good sense of beauty, some knowledge of periods and persons, some An Unknown i8th Century Artist. A PORTRAIT, ONE OF SEVEN BY THE ARTIST. Owner of all, Robert Dicker, Esq. THE AMATEUR COLLECTOR. J ideas as to technique, signatures, and methods, the result should not be unsatis factory. Some of the best miniatures that can be acquired are those that for genera tions have remained in the possession of families. These are sometimes to be found in country sale-rooms or in provincial silver smiths' shops, and, in many cases, a little judicious and courteous inquiry will reveal scraps of history concerning them that will increase their interest a thousandfold. Those persons even who, through stress of cir cumstance, have had to part with their family miniatures are often disposed, on finding that they are the cherished treasures of a private and educated collector, rather than a dealer, to give such information as they may possess, and often the information is of the highest value. Even the provincial trader can often add a shred of story to the miniature that will be of interest and form perhaps the clue to unravelling a history that may delight the new owner. As to names, however, a few words of caution are desirable. Other things being equal, a miniature with a name to it is more valuable than a miniature without a name ; but the tyro is far too ready to give names to his miniatures and to accept suggestions. In the cases of family portraits it is gener ally possible to give accurate names, and to say definitely to whom each miniature 8 MINIATURES. should be attributed. If not at first clear, a little further inquiry, a few letters, or the searching of pedigrees or registers, will often settle a doubtful name, or give the maiden name of a married woman whose identity is uncertain, or distinguish between peers and other persons of title of similar name. In the case of miniatures about whose history nothing is known, let me strongly and seriously advise the collector not to be in a hurry to attach names to them. He may have an idea whom they represent, and his idea may be founded upon something stronger than mere surmise, but I would pray him not to act upon this theory until he has exhausted all means of verifying the attribution. Few things are more annoy ing to the careful collector, whether he be the owner or merely an inspecting visitor, than a careless attribution, a mere guess labelled as a piece of certain fact. In some cases the general character of the piece reveals a date that is altogether at variance with the attribution ; sometimes the portrait itself is dated and the date has been over looked, or there are initials upon it that gainsay its owner's fondest hopes ; but even if it is not so, a name attached to a minia ture upon mere surmise is a piece of fraud and falsification of history most strongly to be reprobated. By all means let the collector surmise and imagine whose portrait he possesses, M. V. COSTA. MARIE ANTOINETTE. Owner J. Ward Usher, Esq THE AMATEUR COLLECTOR. 9 then let him test his surmise and try it. Let him go to the British Museum, South Kensington Museum, or National Portrait Gallery, or to some other celebrated collec tion of pictures or prints ; let him go with his miniature in hand and examine care fully and judiciously all the prints or other portraits of the person whose portrait he believes he possesses. Let him verify the artist's date and the date of the person depicted, and carefully and anxiously turn to all possible sources of information as to his hero or heroine's appearance. Then only when he has exhausted all sources of information, let him, unless quite certain of the accuracv of his contention, assume it only upon such and such evidence, or from such and such prints, guarding him self against the annoyance of a better in formed collector disturbing by some new piece of definite information his fondly placed attribution. Even to an expert, such as Mr. Lionel Cust, — who, from the invaluable collection of portraits and of books for reference at the National Portrait Gallery, has, coupled with his own experience the greatest possible chance of accuracy, — the task of identifying faces is difficult and puzzling. How much more hazardous will it be to an ordinary collector, and how careful should he be to avoid dogmatic assertion upon insufficient knowledge. IO MINIATURES. Let it be fully understood that a minia ture when unnamed is just as beautiful and as important as a work of art, and although historically it gains immensely in importance if named, vet if incorrectly labelled the name is more than valueless — it is vicious and dangerous. Once upset an attribution or discover its slender foundation and a doubt is cast on the miniature which it is not easy to remove. Exact lv the same reasoning applies to the name of the artist. Even the most ordinarv care has sometimes been neglected, and the names of artists applied to miniatures evidentlv painted before they were born or after their death ; and work signed and dated by the artist has been carelessly attributed to another man. For these reasons it is most important to know the exact date upon which the birth and the death of the artist took place, and time is well spent in searching records in order to ascertain these facts, and so obtain data upon which opinions mav be grounded. I need hardly say that every care should be taken in examining a miniature to dis cover what it can tell of its own story. With the utmost caution it should be re moved from its frame, and, with a strong glass, should be examined in every part. Initials often occur so close to the edge of the ivory- that they are hidden by the frame, and even when the tiny letters "or the date have been noticed thev must be examined zo w I — 1 z <