Perfect Likeness

Diminutive marvels of artistry and fine craftsmanship, portrait miniatures reveal a wealth of information within their small frames. They can tell tales of cultural history and biography, of people and their passions, of evolving tastes in jewellery, fashion, hairstyles and the decorative arts. Unlike many other genres, miniatures have a tradition, in which amateurs and professionals have operated in parallel and women artists have flourished as professionals. This richly illustrated book presents approximately 180 portrait miniatures, selected from the holdings of the Cincinnati Art Museum, the largest and most diverse collection of its kind in North America. Both American and European miniatures are included, and the book stresses the continuity of stylistic tradition across the two continents, as well as the vitality of the portrait miniature format through more than four centuries. A detailed catalogue entry, as well as a concise artist biography, appears for each object. Essays inspired by the featured miniatures examine various aspects of miniature painting, of the depiction of costume in miniatures, and of the allied art of hair work.