DOI Heft:
No. 286 (January 1917)
DOI Artikel:Wood, T. Martin: The Buccleuch miniatures at the Victoria and Albert Museum
DOI Seite / Zitierlink:https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.24575#0189
The Buccleuch Miniatures
chiefly of garden landscape, the theatre of Love. It must be most gratifying to the Duke of
In all this the dainty seventeenth and eighteenth Buccleuch, that his loan of the collection to the
century miniature, though it is given over to Museum has met with a response from the public
trivialities, shares the intention of the miniature beyond all expectation. The interest it has aroused,
art of the old breviaries in enticing the spectator
to reverie.
In the middle of the eighteenth century another
change took place in the ideal that miniaturists
placed before themselves. The art of Cosway,
Smart, and others is of the kind that could
appear in a print as well as upon ivory. Cosway
and his imitators were artists who could work
on a small scale upon any surface. It cannot
john, baron belasyse (1614-16S9)
inscribed "s. cooper /. 1646," but perhaps by
john hoskins
george washington (1732-I799)
enamel painting by william prewett
the solace that it must have afforded, is in itself
a wonderful justification of the decision that the
Museum should not be closed—as an additional
unnecessary misery of war.
[The colour reproductions accompanying this
article were made direct from the originals, and
we desire to acknowledge the courtesy of the
Director, Sir Cecil Smith, in allowing our engraver
facilities for this purpose, and also in permitting
us to use the official photographs for the text
illustrations.—The Editor.]
be maintained that the whole character of their
art was determined by the exigencies of the art of
the miniature itself. Indeed Cosway's free and
often quite unfinished style, while it is delightful
for his perfect sense of composition, seems to
escape from that principle of "finish" which a
surface as permanent as ivory demands. But this
school is not richly represented in the Buccleuch
collection. It is an old collection, and more than
one great collection has joined another to make it
what it is. The historian of English painting,
Walpole, had a hand in its making, and before
the cases at South Kensington in which it is now
set out, it is impossible not to be affected by the
warren hastings (1732-181S)
rich historic associations that it provokes. artist unknown
chiefly of garden landscape, the theatre of Love. It must be most gratifying to the Duke of
In all this the dainty seventeenth and eighteenth Buccleuch, that his loan of the collection to the
century miniature, though it is given over to Museum has met with a response from the public
trivialities, shares the intention of the miniature beyond all expectation. The interest it has aroused,
art of the old breviaries in enticing the spectator
to reverie.
In the middle of the eighteenth century another
change took place in the ideal that miniaturists
placed before themselves. The art of Cosway,
Smart, and others is of the kind that could
appear in a print as well as upon ivory. Cosway
and his imitators were artists who could work
on a small scale upon any surface. It cannot
john, baron belasyse (1614-16S9)
inscribed "s. cooper /. 1646," but perhaps by
john hoskins
george washington (1732-I799)
enamel painting by william prewett
the solace that it must have afforded, is in itself
a wonderful justification of the decision that the
Museum should not be closed—as an additional
unnecessary misery of war.
[The colour reproductions accompanying this
article were made direct from the originals, and
we desire to acknowledge the courtesy of the
Director, Sir Cecil Smith, in allowing our engraver
facilities for this purpose, and also in permitting
us to use the official photographs for the text
illustrations.—The Editor.]
be maintained that the whole character of their
art was determined by the exigencies of the art of
the miniature itself. Indeed Cosway's free and
often quite unfinished style, while it is delightful
for his perfect sense of composition, seems to
escape from that principle of "finish" which a
surface as permanent as ivory demands. But this
school is not richly represented in the Buccleuch
collection. It is an old collection, and more than
one great collection has joined another to make it
what it is. The historian of English painting,
Walpole, had a hand in its making, and before
the cases at South Kensington in which it is now
set out, it is impossible not to be affected by the
warren hastings (1732-181S)
rich historic associations that it provokes. artist unknown