Miniature Art Information and History
"Insights into the Contemporary Resurgence of Miniature Painting and Helpful Resources"
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Rachelle and Wes Siegrist painting miniatures in their studio. |
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Miniature painting has been in existence for centuries tracing its heritage back to the illustrated manuscripts of scribes in the Far East and Europe. Miniature painting developed into a unique art form, independent of manuscripts, starting in the 15th century. The current resurgence in popularity in miniature art, spearheaded by formal societies, started in 1896 in England and expanded worldwide in the late 1900's. We started painting traditional miniatures in 1997 and officially joined the ranks of miniature artists in 1998 and are active with many of the current societies dedicated to promoting and preserving "art in the little".
~ UPDATED: May 18th, 2009 |
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* A Brief Historical Look at Miniature Painting * What Qualifies as a Miniature Painting? * Miniature Definition Essay by Wes (PDF 130kb - written 2007) * Current Miniature Society Definitions of Miniature (new window/ website) * The Issue of Computer Art and Miniatures by Wes and Rachelle (PDF 26kb - written 2001) * Contemporary Miniature Art Societies * Miniature Art Resources, Shows & Books * Miniature Art Collections * Revival Period Miniature Art Societies and Organizations (new window) * Statements and Comments About Miniature Art From Exhibition Catalogs (new window) * Miniature Art Quotes from Wes Siegrist |
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* A Brief Historical Look at Miniature Painting (This information was compiled starting in November of 2004 by Wes and Rachelle Siegrist via information found online and in the books listed/ linked below. Please don't hesitate to contact us if you find errors or have further information we can add! We'd also be glad to provide the specific sources for some of the information which is omitted here to conserve space) 800’s: The Book of Kells, a lavishly illustrated text of the gospels featuring elaborately detailed and intricate art, is created by Celtic monks. 1000’s – 1400’s: Precedent miniature art is found throughout Persia, India, Turkey and other Far Eastern Countries in the form of manuscript illumination. European scribes also embellish their lettering and sometimes add artwork. Often this includes a portrait of the wealthy benefactor commissioning the copied manuscripts. The red pigment often used by the scribes is called minium an etymological beginning of our contemporary word miniature. 1500’s: Miniature paintings begin to be found apart from manuscripts. Jean Clouet of France is attributed with creating the first portrait independent of a manuscript. His succesors and contemporaries, Luke Hornebolte and Hans Holbein of Germany are attributed with being the first miniature portrait painters in England. After moving to England in 1526 Holbein becomes the court painter to Henry the 8th. He paints miniature portraits of the King and his wives and he is acknowledged as the first master of miniature painting. During this time miniature painting was known as limning. The earliest attestation of usage of the term miniature dates to 1586. 1600’s: Miniature portraiture becomes more popular and refined. Two notable artists are Nicholas Hilliard (Court painter to Queen Elizabeth I) and Isaac Oliver (apprentice of Hilliard). Hilliard writes the first treatise on miniature painting techniques @1600: The Arte of Limning. Hilliard adopts the oval format vs. the more traditional circle. Oliver introduces modelling and shade into his work acheiving a more natural feel and he also adds historical subject matter into his work going beyond simple portraiture. Samuel Cooper, hailed as the greatest English miniaturist, has his work considered "life-sized work in little". 1700’s: The peak of miniatures popularity. Business booms for miniature artists. The newly formed American Colonies (and later the United States) have artists practicing miniatures. Charles Peale opens a gallery in the United States in 1782 specializing in miniature portraits. His whole family is adept at painting minis! George Engleheart, a miniaturist in England paints over 4,900 minis in his career! Rosalba Carriera, of Italy, is credited with painting the first miniature on ivory which soon replaces vellum as the support of choice among miniaturists. 1800’s: The introduction of the Daguerreotype in 1839 starts the photography age and ends the business boom for miniature artists. Those few practicing miniaturists fear the end of their art form is imminent. Most either switch to photography or try to implement the new tool to help maintain their livelihood. Hope comes in May 1896 when miniature artist, Alyn Williams forms The Society of Miniaturists in England. - 1896: Two societies were formed at roughly the same time and despite diplomatic efforts the two were not able to come to terms on which society was established first or had proper claim to the title "Society of Miniaturists". The Society founded by Alyn Williams became the dominant group and is today known as the Royal Society of Miniature Painters, Sculptors & Gravers (RMS). - 1899: The American Society of Miniature Painters (ASMP) is founded by recognized artists of conventional sized work that have become enamored with working in miniature. They have their premiere exhibition in January of 1900 at Knoedler Galleries in New York. Several other societies are formed as the Revival Movement gains momentum and interest. 1900’s: - 1933: Alyn Williams travels to the US and forms the Miniature Painters, Sculptors and Gravers Society in Washington, DC. The MPSGS is the oldest contemporary American society. - 1974: The Miniature Art Society of Florida is formed by the late Bede Zengle. MASF is the largest association of miniaturists in the world with a membership near 500. They host the largest annual miniature exhibition in the world each January in the Clearwater, FL region. The show typically has @900 miniature works of art on display. The MASF also has the largest permanent collection of miniature art from contemporary artists. The MASF is instrumental in getting formal recognition for contemporary miniature art in Florida regional museums. - 1985: The Miniature Artists of America is formed to honor outstanding practioners of contemporary miniature art in America. Signature members are elected by the membership after they have consistently received awards in international miniature shows. The MAA is the only honor society in the world recognizing miniature artists. They have a traveling exhibit of member’s works used for educational purposes and available for public display (see their website). (Our "Best Mates" and "The Janice Elaine" are included in the current exhibition) Read more comprehensive information on historic and contemporary Societies here. (new window) |
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What Qualifies as a Miniature Painting? Miniature painting involves tedious and delicate brushwork that captivates under close scrutiny. The contemporary revival in miniature has been marked by a clear move towards explicitly including size and scale in the general description of the works. Partly due to the vague usage of the term miniature and in an effort to encourage and further define the direction of the art form most contemporary societies have adopted a one-sixth scale guideline. This guide states subjects should be rendered one-sixth their life-size or smaller with some leeway given to naturally small subjects (hummingbirds, butterflies and delicate flowers). Some societies place less stringent guidelines on subject size and limit only the image area. Framing guidelines have been loosened lately to include more molding styles and sizes as long as the overall framed work falls under the set size. Most societies encourage delicate frames matching the proportions of the artwork. (the framed artwork or sculpture should fit in an open hand) Foremost in importance in contemporary miniature art is the highly skilled and painstaking techniques should be evident upon viewing the artwork. This is often defined as the work should hold up well under magnification. It should draw the viewer's eye deeper and deeper into itself with amazement at the gemlike details of the tiny treasure. For more in-depth information please see: Grasping the Elusive Definition of Miniature Art in 2007 by Wes (PDF 122kb) * Personal Notes from Wes & Rachelle Siegrist: Miniature art normally fits into your pocket so it's not hard finding a place for it in any home, and for discriminating collectors who prefer to purchase originals it affords a one-of-a-kind quality at most artist's framed reproduction's price ranges. Creating miniature art can be extremely tedious and painstaking with a narrow margin of error. We sometimes try as many as 5 times to put a highlight in the animals eye...often the paint being such a small amount dries before we can get it into the right area. Observers of our work are always amazed at how tiny and detailed the paintings actually are in real life versus what they see online or in print. * Defining the "Ideal" Miniature Today: Although definitions and rules governing miniature art vary by society or country most agree on the basic tenets. Below we've listed the statements of the Association of Miniature Artists guiding standards: AMA Guidelines: While the AMA recognizes and encourages individuality, experimentation and future changes in the miniature art movement the AMA exists to provide a common ground among members especially in the context of defining their work to the public. As a member of the AMA you choose to agree with the following statements:
1. Given the historical foundation of traditional miniature art, I will strive to understand it better for the promotion, preservation and advancement of the art form.
3. Given my concern for the future of the miniature art form I will do my best to educate artists and the public about the historical and current miniature art movement, contribute work to the exhibitions and volunteer when possible with the existing societies, shows and online forums as interaction with fellow artists is key to better understanding and continued advancement of the genre. My membership in the AMA will continue as long as I work in the miniature art genre and adhere with the statements and tenets.
Miniature Art Quotes from Wes Siegrist: Miniature Painting: Surely no other genre is so enchanting or infectious with regards to the way it captivates, charms and excites us to the degree of wanting to treasure it so close while announcing it to the world from the rooftops! Our paintings are part of a unique genre tracing its history back to the development of the portrait miniature in the mid 16th century. Miniatures are small size and scale works in intricate detail that can withstand magnification but they are not mere miniscule novelties. Done properly, they should be complete reflections of larger fine art rendered without compromise or apology due to the restricted format in dimensions. Trying to capture with what seems like a million marks, what another artist can lay in with a single stroke, is a constant challenge to the miniaturist. Trying to paint objects smaller than the end of our brush involves holding our breath and deftly maneuvering the brush tip while moving our head in an effort to see what we are trying to do with the usual result of not getting it perfect until the third or fourth attempt. Miniature painting, in addition to usual artistic abilities, requires great concentration, patience, a very steady hand, extreme caution when handling the delicate work and of course the desire to subject oneself to these additional burdens solely for the purpose of creating the art on a smaller scale. Artists that embrace the genre will equally find it enchanting and addictive. While all miniatures can be Fine Art not all Fine Art can be miniature. This is important today in distinguishing miniatures from small works or other art forms. Small dimensions and scale, refined technique, and the ability to impress the viewer even under magnification, are all essentially requisite to define miniature. When painting a miniature we rarely perceive it as being small. The composition 'feels' like a normal size to us. Of course when trying to render something as small as our brush tip we do wish it was just a wee bit bigger! Practicing miniaturists and appreciative collectors will persist due to the enchantment of the genre. New artists pursuing miniatures as a career will continue to face the same taunt leveled at miniaturists in the mid 19th century when the movement initially declined - "Why work so hard to achieve what could be done far easier another way?" Statements and Comments About Miniature Art From Other Sources (new window) Miniature Art Collections: This list was compiled by Wes Siegrist - artofwildlife.com, Caroline Hayes of the Hilliard Society - art-in-miniature.org, Don Shelton - portrait-miniature.blogspot.com and Christine Archibald - archibaldminiatures.com. Thanks as well to individuals that have offered suggestions and additions and especially again to Caroline for organizing the list by location! Australia - Adelaide: Art Gallery of South Australia - New South Wales: Art Gallery of New South Wales - New South Wales: Heritage Collection, Nelson Meers FoundationState library of NSW, Sydney - Perth: Art Gallery of Western Australia - Queensland: Queensland Art Gallery - Tasmania: State Library of Tasmania Miniatures Collection, Allport Library and Museum of Fine Arts, Hobart - Victoria: National Gallery of Victoria Austria - Vienna: National Library of Austria - Vienna: The Albertina Collection Canada - Montreal: Montreal Museum of Fine Arts - Ontario: Library and Archives Canada, Ottawa - Ontario: The Royal Ontario Museum, Toronto England - Aberdeen: Aberdeen Art Gallery & Museums - Aylesbury: Waddesdon Manor - Barnard Castle: Bowes Museum - Bath: Holburne Museum of Art - Birmingham: Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery - Cambridge: The Fitzwilliam Museum Miniature Portrait Collection - Grantham: Belvoir Castle - London: The British Museum - London: The Gilbert Collection of enamel miniatures - London: The National Maritime Museum - London: The National Portrait Gallery - London: The Victoria and Albert Museum - London: The Wallace Collection - Oxford: The Ashmolean Museum of Art and Archaeology - Rotherham: Welbeck Abbey - Windsor: The Royal Collection at Windsor Castle - York: Castle Howard France - Chantilly: Condé Museum - Paris: Musée de Louvre, Miniatures Collection Germany - Celle: The Tansey Collection of Miniatures - Winterthur: The Winterthur Museum and Country Estate India - Bombay: Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Vastu Sangrahalya Museum Ireland - Dublin: The Chester Beatty Library - Dublin: Trinity College, Dublin, Ireland (The Book of Kells) Italy - Turin: The Civic Museum of Ancient Art in Palazzo Madama Mexico - Mexico City: The National History Museum of Anthropology Netherlands - The Hague: Mauritshuis - Amsterdam: House of Orange-Nassau Historic Collections Trust - Amsterdam: Rijksmuseum Poland - Warsaw: The National Museum in Warsaw Portugal - Lisbon: Museu Nacional De Arte Antiga Russia - St. Petersburg: The Hermitage Museum The Pushkin State Museum of Fine Arts Scotland - Edinburgh: Scottish National Portrait Gallery - Edinburgh: Clan Leslie Charitable Trust Spain - Madrid: Fundación Lázaro Galdiano Museo Sweden - Stockholm: State Museum Switzerland - Geneva: The Patek Museum [watch museum with small collection of miniature portraits] - Winterthur: Museum Briner und Kern Miniature Portrait Collection Turkey - Istanbul: The Topkapi Palace, Turkey United States of America - California: The Pasadena Historical Museum, Pasadena (California Society of Miniature Painters Collection, 1911-1972) - California: Huntington Library San Marino - Colorado: The Berger Collection of British Art, Denver - Connecticut: The Yale Center for British Art, Paul Mellon Collection - Connecticut: The Yale University Art Gallery, New Haven - Connecticut: Stamford Historical Society: Anson Dickinson Collection, Stamford - Connecticut: Litchfield Historical Society, Litchfield - Connecticut: Wadsworth Atheneum Museum of Art, Hartford - District of Columbia: The National Portrait Gallery, Washington - District of Columbia: Luce Foundation Center for American Art, Washington - District of Columbia: The National Museum of Women in the Arts, Washington (Eulabee Dix) - District of Columbia: Smithsonian American Art Museum, Washington - Florida: Governor's Mansion, Tallahassee - Florida: The Clearwater East Library, Clearwater (Two cases of the Miniature Art Society of Florida's Permanent Collection. Note that the entire collection is often displayed at the annual MASF Exhibition) - Illinois: The Art Institute of Chicago, Chicago - Indiana: The Historical Museum of the Wabash Valley, Terre Haute - Indiana: The Swope Art Museum, Terre Haute - Kentucky: The Speed Art Museum, Louisville - Louisiana: Louisiana State Museum Visual Arts Collection, New Orleans - Louisiana: New Orleans Museum of Art (The Latter-Schlesinger Collection) - Louisiana: R.W. Norton Art Gallery, Shreveport - Maryland: Maryland Historical Society - Massachusetts: Boston Museum of Fine Arts - Massachusetts: The Massachusetts Historical Society, Boston - Massachusetts: The Mead Art Museum, Amherst - Massachusetts: The Worcester Art Museum, Worcester - Massachusetts: American Antiquarian Society - Missouri: The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art, Kansas City - New York: The Albany Institute of History and Art, Albany - New York: The Henry Luce III Center for the study of American Culture, New York - New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York - New York: The Morgan Library & Museum - North Carolina: The Biltmore Estate, Asheville - Ohio: The Cincinnati Art Museum, Cincinnati - Ohio: The Cleveland Museum of Art (Edward B Greene Collection) - Ohio: Butler Institute, Youngstown - Oklahoma: The Woolaroc Ranch, Museum, & Wildlife Preserve, Tulsa - Oklahoma: Gilcrease Museum, Tulsa - Pennsylvania: Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts. - Pennsylvania: The Philadelphia Museum of Art, Philadelphia - Pennsylvania: The Rosenbach Museum & Library, Philadelphia - Rhode Island: Rhode Island Historical Society, Providence - South Carolina: Gibbes Museum of Art, Charleston, SC - Texas: Caroline A. Ross collection at the Houston Museum of Fine Arts, Houston - Tennessee: The Cheekwood Botanical Garden & Museum of Art, Nashville - Utah: The Utah Museum of Fine Arts,Salt Lake City - Virginia: Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, Richmond - Wisconsin: Milwaukee Art Museum, Milwaukee [NB Miniature collection not on general display]
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Contemporary Miniature Art Societies and Groups For more details on the various modern societies please visit the Hilliard Society's website: www.art-in-miniature.org. To view information on all of the societies and organizations involved in the Revival Period please see: Miniature Art Societies and Organizations of the Revival Period 1895-present day. AMA: The Association of Miniature Artists (worldwide) ASMA(NSW): Australian Society of Miniature Art, Inc. ASMA(Tas): Australian Society of Miniature Art (Tasmania) ASMA(Vic): Australian Society of Miniature Art (Victoria) AVIT: St. Petersburg, Russia British Watercolor Society And Society Of Miniaturists, UK CPA: Cider Painters of America, Pennsylvania, USA HS: Hilliard Society of Miniaturists, UK IMAS: Israel Miniature Art Society MAA: The Miniature Artists of America MASF: Miniature Art Society of Florida, USA MASSA: Miniature Art Society of South Africa MPSGS: The Miniature Painters, Sculptors and Gravers Society of Washington, DC, USA NCSAM: Northern California Society of Arts in Miniature, Mariposa, Ca, USA NMMAS: New Mexico Miniature Arts Society, New Mexico, USA OMAS: Oceanside Miniature Art Society, BC, Canada RMS: The Royal Miniature Art Society, UK SLM: Society of Limners, Miniaturists And Caligraphers, UK STMAS: South Texas Miniature Art Society - c/o Art Center of Corpus Christi, TX, USA WCSMA: West Coast Society of Miniature Art, California, USA WFM: The World Federation of Miniaturists The Yahoo Miniature Art Forum |
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Miniature Art Resources & Books More information on Exquisite Miniatures by Wes & Rachelle Siegrist and The World of Nature in Miniature; Paintings by Wes & Rachelle Siegrist, published by us and featuring our work, may be viewed by clicking here.
• American Portrait Miniatures - by Dale T. Johnson • American Portrait Miniatures - by Susan E. Strickler • British Portrait Miniatures - by Graham Reynolds • Exquisite Miniatures by Wes & Rachelle Siegrist - by Wes Siegrist • European Portrait Miniatures in the Metropolitan Museum of Art - by Graham Reynolds • How to Paint Miniatures - by Robert Hughes & Elizabeth Johnson • Looking for Eulabee Dix, The Illustrated Biography of An American Miniaturist - by Jo Ann Ridley • Love and Loss, American Portrait & Mourning Miniatures - by Robin Jaffee Frank • Miniature Art of Australia ~ Past and Present - by the Australian Society of Miniature Art Tasmania, Inc. • Miniature Art Today - by Bede Zel Angle • Miniature Painting: A Complete Guide to Techniques, Mediums, and Surfaces - by Joan Cornish Willies • Miniatures: A Selection of Miniatures in the Ashmolean Museum - by Richard Walker • Miniatures: Dictionary and Guide - by Daphne Foskett • Painting Miniatures - by Elizabeth Davys Wood • Perfect Likeness European and American Portrait Miniatures from the Cincinnati Art Museum - by Julie Aronson and Majorie E. Wieseman • Portrait Miniatures - by Bill Mundy, RMS, MAA • Portrait Miniatures 2 - by Bill Mundy, RMS, MAA • Portrait Miniatures from the Daphne Foskett Collection - by Stephen Lloyd • Portrait Miniatures Oriental by Bill Mundy, RMS, MAA • The Artist's Workbook on Miniature Painting - by Joan Cornish Willies • The Catalog of the Permanent Collection (MASF) • The English Miniature - by John Murdoch, Jim Murrell, Patrick J. Noon & Roy Strong • The Magic of Miniatures - by Jo Clay • The Miniature Portrait Collection of the Carolina Art Association - by Martha R. Severens • The Portrait Miniature in England - by Katherine Coombs • The Techniques of Painting Miniatures - by Sue Burton • The Way How to Lymne - by Jim Murrell • The World of Nature in Miniature; Paintings by Wes & Rachelle Siegrist - by Wes Siegrist • Timeless Treasures VHS/ DVD Video presentation from Miniature Art Society of Florida • Wallace Collection Catalogue of Miniatures - by Graham Reynolds Online Links for Miniature Art: SUPPLIES: - MiniArt Supply - Supplies for artists of miniatures & other fine detail work. (list most all contemporary miniature art shows) - Polymers Plus - Supplies, books, frames for artists of miniatures. - welovewood.com: Magnifying Glasses - The Brass Binnacle: Magnifying Glasses DEALERS & COLLECTORS & GALLERIES: - Artists and Ancestors - A Miniature Portrait Collection. - Christine Archibald Portrait Miniatures - Dealer and collector of fine portrait miniatures. - Portrait Miniatures from Barry Hayes - Dealer and collector of fine portrait miniatures. - Piccolo Art - Piccolo Art is an art dealer specializing in antique portrait miniatures and small portraits from the 18th to the early 20th centuries. - Llewellyn Alexander (Fine Paintings) LTD - One of the foremost galleries in the world selling miniatures and silhouettes in Oil and Watercolour by Living Artists. - Historic Miniature Portraits for purchase via Elle Shushan - British and European Historic Miniature Portraits via Judy & Brian Harden Antiques - Wiebold Studio - Restoration and Framing of Miniatures. Has notes on period framing with reproductions available for purchase. MINIATURE SHOW LISTINGS & CONTACT INFORMATION: - Listing and Artist's inside info/ feedback at Yahoo Miniature Art Forum - Show listings at the Hilliard Society of Miniaturists website - Show listings at MiniArt Supply website - Show listings at The Association of Miniature Artists website - Show listings and deadline calendar Wiki MINIATURE ART FORUMS: - Yahoo Groups Miniature Art Forum - WetCanvas Miniature Art Forum - Miniature Art Shows and General Reference Site MISCELLANEOUS: •Read some of the essays featured inside our book,Exquisite Miniatures by Wes & Rachelle Siegrist, courtesy of Traditional Fine Arts Organization, a non-profit organization dedicated to furthering education in American art through advocacy, grants, publication and research. - Video presentation from the Luce Foundation Center for American Art on portrait miniatures. - Information on the substrate Ivorine from Nancy Still of Miniartsupply.biz (PDF 309 KB) - Wikipedia Section on Miniature Art - Miniature Artists of America Traveling Exhibition: The MAA has four cases of miniature paintings that is available free of charge to Museums, Societies and Group Exhibitions. The collection, which contains two of our paintings, is exquisitely displayed in black cases under glass. The MAA uses this exhibit for educational purposes. Please contact Wes Siegrist directly if you are interested and we will have an informational package mailed to you. - Wikipedia: The Book of Kells - Answers.com: Information on Portrait Miniatures - "The Art of the American Miniature Portrait" essay by Peter J. Baldaia - Brief History of Persian Miniature Painting - Brief History on Moslem Miniature Painting - Article on European Portrait Miniature Painters - Article on Hans Holbein/ Miniatures/ The Wallace Collection, London, England. - Article on miniatures/ Metropolitan Museum of Art. - ArtCult's Miniature page - Sales results of historic minis. - Les heures de Turin-Milan - Miniatures by Jan van Eyck - Catalogue of collections in French museums - Picture Australia - The Making of Russian Lacquer Boxes |
