Usually no more than two inches, a miniature was made to be held in the hands of a single viewer to create a sense of intimacy with a loved one when physical proximity was not possible, either for engaged couples or loved ones separated by war. Placed into small frames, the miniatures could be pinned inside a jacket or placed in a pocket for easy access to look at throughout the day.
Portrait miniatures might have been exchanged by an engaged couple, or worn to remember someone who lived far away, or who had perhaps died. Some even contain a lock of the loved one’s hair—either underneath the portrait or displayed on the back intricately woven with seed pearls or golden threads.
Many of the finest American portraitists, such as Gilbert Stuart, popularized the art form by bringing European miniaturists to the United States to satisfy the prosperous citizens who wished to wear and display these intimate pieces.Making It Small
Portrait miniatures developed in the 16th and 17th centuries. The most common technique used a watercolor-based paint on ivory, although some were painted on stretched vellum. Others were created with oils on copper.At the height of the popularity the miniatures in the mid-1800s, miniaturists in the United States tried to replicate the look of an oil portrait. And, as these portraits’ popularity grew, miniaturists improved their skills, especially in stronger coloring, more detail, sharper focus, and a high finish.
“Highlights in the face were executed by either leaving the ivory bare, or delicately removing painted layers to expose the support. Thus, the pale complexion was rendered in ivory, itself a material of luxury that implied a conflation of precious material with desirable appearance.”
The most popular technique was painting with gouache (an opaque watercolor) on ivory, a challenging task that required meticulous preparation of the ivory and special painting techniques. If an artist were to simply paint directly onto the ivory, the colors would blend together and lose definition. Thinly sliced along the grain, the ivory was cleaned to remove all organic oils and sanded in preparation for miniature painting. Artists used painting techniques such as hatching (short lines overlapping to show gradations in color) and stippling (repeated dots of color) to avoid muddying colors.“Once finished, the paper was trimmed to fit a case and allow the ivory to fit snuggly against the glass, protecting it from dust and moisture. To keep the ivory from shifting, other pieces of paper, often playing cards or scraps, were layered beneath the painting.”
Colored glass was added to some miniature cases to elevate the richness of the object.
The Artist, Both Admired and Amenable
As the foremost American miniaturist, Edward Greene Malbone was widely admired by both American and British artists, and he made a name for himself as a master of the miniature portrait.Self-taught, Malbone left his home in Rhode Island to work as a miniaturist alongside painter and friend Washington Allston (1779–1843) in Boston. Allston remarked on Malbone’s amenable disposition and his way of using his artistic skills to bring out the inner goodness in those who posed for him: He had “the happy talent … of elevating the character without impairing the likeness [of his sitters].”
As his skills grew, Malbone traveled up and down the East Coast gaining popularity. For a time, he honed his skills in England but returned to the United States to work in Charleston, South Carolina, in 1801. Now in great demand, Malbone began his most prolific period of work, completing three miniatures a week.
Malbone’s miniatures provide insight into the sitters’ character and spirit in a unique way. In his portrait of Eliza Izard, for example, he used a hatching technique, with small strokes and a mix of colors. Even though her skin looks smooth, closer study reveals small lines of color layered over one another to create a subtle blush in her cheek.
Several miniature portraits at the Smithsonian American Art Museum provide details about Malbone and his subjects. As word spread among families and friends, the artist’s commissions grew. Susannah Russell was a descendant of the Condé and Bourbon houses, and counted several French kings in her lineage, including Louis IV.
John Corlis, who had his miniature done in 1795, was a merchant-ship owner based in Providence, Rhode Island. From 1792 to 1810, the fleet traveled between the United States, the Caribbean islands, and Hamburg, Germany.
Malbone painted miniatures of several members of the Poinsett family during his trip to Charleston between 1801 and 1802. He did a miniature of Dr. Elisha Poinsett, who was the father of Joel R. Poinsett, who was a member of the House of Representatives and secretary of war to President Martin Van Buren.
Susan Poinsett was recuperating from a lengthy illness at the time of her portrait, but her recovery was brief and she died two years later. The small portrait shows a wan young woman with sad eyes.
Henry Bounetheau, a leading miniaturist in Charleston, showed his great respect and admiration for Malbone by having him do the portraits of Bounetheau’s own family, including an aunt. It is not clear which of his aunts appears in this miniature.
By Today’s Standards
Although not as expensive as a full-length portrait, the price for such an emotional connection was not cheap, yet by the 1830s, newspapers carried ads for miniaturists. Often, a portrait painter offered a two-for-one to bring in clients to pose. As the full-size portrait was being done, the miniaturist who partnered with a portrait artist would complete a smaller likeness.According to Malbone’s account book, he painted a Mr. Lawrence in December 1803 and was paid $70 for his efforts on Christmas Day. In today’s dollars, commissions for artists to complete an ivory miniature would range between $450 and $13,500 with an average of $1,325. The cost would take in the reputation and skill of the artist, the materials used, and the quality of the casework. The price might go down if multiple family members had their miniatures made, and whether a full-scale portrait would also be ordered.
