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If you talk to painters of miniatures, two of
the main qualities, they will tell you, that are needed are an
eye for detail and infinite patience. Most miniature paintings
start with a delicate, detailed drawing followed by many hours of
careful painting using some or even all of the techniques
mentioned above. The result after a careful choice of framing is
a thing of lasting beauty, to be admired for many years. There is
a certain luminosity about a miniature painting that captures the
imagination of the viewer. A miniature should be able to be seen
at a distance or scrutinized under a magnifying glass and still
amaze and excite the viewer. My wife and I have found that people
never cease to admire and be amazed at the detail and
delicateness of the miniature paintings we show in our gallery in
Poole. 
Miniature painting is an art form that has taken off in a big way
with more and more artists turning to this exacting challenge.
The revival in miniature painting was led by the Royal Society of
Miniature Painters, Sculptors and Gravers. The RMS, Founded in
1896, was the first society to devote itself purely to miniature
painting. Other societies involved with the revival were, and
are, the Society of Miniaturists, SM, and later the Hilliard
Society, HS and the Society of Limners. All of these societies
and many keen galleries throughout Britain have made this art
form more and more popular with the public and collectors alike. In Dorset we are very fortunate to have some of
Britain's top miniaturists living here in this most beautiful of
counties. A few examples of different artists and their styles
are people like Sheila Sanford who captures the countryside
around Bridport, Pauline Gyles who paints wonderful portraits and
still-life subjects, Christine Hart-Davies who is internationally
known for her very detailed studies of flowers and their
habitats, Christopher Hope-King who paints ducks in Tudor
costume, Peter Toms who specialises in loose water-colours of
coastal scenes, Commander Geoff Hunt who paints seascapes and sea
battles, historical and modern, Mary McLean who paints birds and
countryside views and Gladys Hayton, my mum, who paints delicate
portraits of peoples' pets. Sadly, Dorothy Turton, RMS, who lived
in Bournemouth, died a few years ago. She painted rich classical
fantasies and Roman scenes that were an inspiration to many
miniaturists. This is just a small selection of Dorset miniature
artists to illustrate the wide range of subjects covered. It is
regrettable that in an article such as this I could not attempt
to name even all of the Dorset miniaturists, let alone the great
number of very fine artists from the rest of the country and
world who have made such a valuable contribution to this
fascinating art form. The miniature societies hold annual
exhibitions: The Royal Society of Miniature Painters in November
/ December at the Westminster Gallery, Westminster Central Hall
in London; The Society of Miniaturists in June / July and
November / December in Ilkley, Yorkshire and the Hilliard Society
in June in Wells, Somerset.The RMS recently celebrated its hundredth year by hosting the World Exhibition of Miniatures to be held alongside their own annual exhibition. Miniature painting is a large subject to cover in one article, but I hope that I have awakened an interest that will inspire you, the reader or artist, to look further into this beautifully absorbing art form. There is a variety of books available on miniature artists and their techniques, some of which are: |
These are only three of the most recent books from many that may be found. A few others are:
The list, and I, could go on for ages, so
interesting is the subject, but this article cannot. I must stop,
but please, please look further. You really will be totally
inspired and amazed. |
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Peter Hayton - March 1995 © This article is copyright Peter Hayton. It may not be copied, stored or reproduced in any form without express written permission from Peter Hayton. |
The Art of Miniature Painting or Limning goes back to
the 16th century when Hans Holbein succeeded Lucas Hornebolt at
Henry VIII's court as a painter of portraits. Hans Holbein
painted both large and miniature portraits, mostly in oils, and
is considered to be the earliest painter of miniatures in
England. Nicholas Hilliard (1547-1619) was the first great
British artist specializing in miniatures. He became the Royal
Limner-Miniaturist to Queen Elizabeth I and most of his paintings
rarely went above 2" x 2". His exquisite painting of
delicate lace in his portraits, even under a magnifying glass,
was faultless. Nicholas Hilliard was an absolute master of
miniatures at the age of twenty-five and his style made no
dramatic changes for more than half a century. His paintings
included portraits of Queen Elizabeth I, King James I, Sir
Francis Drake, Sir Walter Raleigh and Elizabeth, Queen of
Bohemia. Nicholas Hilliard's miniatures are permanently on show
at the Victoria and Albert Museum in London.