Studio: international art (71.1917)

The Beauchamp Miniatures at the Victoria and Albert Museum

KING WILLIAM III. (1650-I702)
ARTIST UNKNOWN

intimacy which wiU ever remain the soul of the
miniature portrait. A picture " in little "
becomes a fiddling thing when it is on a scale
as small as Lens's Lady Molesworih. Such a
scale leaves no room for ease, and while the
representation of character suffers, beauty of
colour is almost out of the question, except in
imitation of the effect of gems. It was at this
stage that that emulation of a porcelain surface
began which is the special triumph of painting
on enamel. But before the ivory surface was
quite supplanted, some of the most charming
effects were secured upon it by such miniaturists
as Gervase Spencer and Nathaniel Hone. Their
miniatures, of which there are excellent speci-
mens among our reproductions, were smaU,
but not too small, and an eighteenth-century
appreciation of fancifulness in costume added
to the charm of their work.

At the next step we have artists competing
for the porcelain effect on a tiny surface in works
of the type of the Sarah Jennings and A ugusta,
Princess of Wales, in this collection, by artists
unknown. Sometimes the miniature on this
scale is redeemed from utter triviality by skill
in obtaining from the treatment of costume a
decorative result. But for all its brightness
the small enamel is generally harsh in colour.

No purpose would be served by enumerating
92

here the enamel miniatures by Zincke and his
school in the Beauchamp collection. The first
and last impression to be received from them
is that of their unpleasant colour—in almost
every case colour of a violent and chemical
character, though it was pure brilliance that
was in view. A miniature of George I by
J. Meyer, R.A., is typical. With his love of
brilliance Zincke himself seems to have paid
hardly any regard to the planes of the face, and
his portraiture therefore is lacking the elements
of what it purports to be, while neither gem-like
beauty or porcelain daintiness is achieved by
him. The good taste that is apparent in a Ger-
vase Spencer was not his. Yet his skill with
enamel technically placed him high, and the
vogue he enjoyed is reflected in the innumerable
miniatures signed by or attributed to him here.

A porcelain-like effect remained the ideal
even when the miniature was on ivory, but with
Cosway, Engleheart, and Plimer the miniature
recovers breadth of draughtsmanship. Indeed
the late eighteenth-century miniaturists allowed
themselves considerable looseness of style, and
they often found it convenient to enlarge the
miniature to a size out of keeping with its true
spirit. Their work lacks the interest in actuality
which is notable in Cooper. It has not the' self-
contained beauty of the Elizabethan miniatures,
and it relies for a large part of its attractiveness

A GENTLEMAN UNKNOWN. BY CHRISTIAN
RICHTER