Latest portrait minature

[glitterata]

Look, a new portrait miniature! This one has a name--"My Mother, Eva S. Strange," engraved on the back. Judging by her clothes and hair, she's from the 1850s, maybe late 1840s.

I like her serious, not-too-idealized face.

She seems to be wearing a cameo, perhaps angelskin coral, with matching earrings.

She has a chip and a crack in her glass covering, which is probably why I won her for a relatively low bid.

Penny for scale. She's pretty substantial.

 

[glitterata]

Close-up. It''s hard to get the camera to focus on the painting rather than the glass.

 

[Ara Ann]

VERY cool Gliterata! I love seeing your portrait miniatures! Truly unique and special...works of art! Certainly a lost art form. I really appreciate the history behind these pieces...very interesting!


Thanks for sharing you newest treasure!

 

[jcrow]

how interesting! and such wonderful detail for being so small. great find! thanks for sharing it with us.

 

[glitterata]

Thank you, Ara Ann & jcrow.

She's a fairly late portrait miniature. Photographs began to replace painted portrait minatures in the mid-19th century, around the time this one was painted. There was a brief revival about 100 years ago.

Here's the back. She's set in a gold brooch. The pin and clasp are from c. 1900, but they're replacements--if you look very carefully, you can see where the original pin and clasp attached a little lower. "My Mother" seems to have been engraved later than "Eva S. Strange." Perhaps the daughter had "My Mother" added when she replaced the old pin and clasp. (Ignore the metal safety thingie, which is modern.)

Someday, perhaps in my next life, I'm going to learn to paint portrait miniatures.

 

[Burberrygirl]

Gorgeous, I love it!

 

[Circe]

What a great miniature - the portrait is a work of art, and the NAME! Good lord, it makes me want to write a novel about the mysterious life of Eva S. Strange (and her daughter, for that matter).

 

[glitterata]

Date: 12/10/2009 4:43:32 PM
Author: Circe
What a great miniature - the portrait is a work of art, and the NAME! Good lord, it makes me want to write a novel about the mysterious life of Eva S. Strange (and her daughter, for that matter).

You know, I had the same thought. Now when a novel appears with Eva S. Strange and her daughter in it, everybody will wonder whether it''s by Circe or Glitterata. (Or a lurker, of course.)

 

[Deactivated member 42515]

my MIL would loooove this thread! She loves antiques and she actually used to have an antique shop herself but now she just collects and maybe sells once iin a while on ebay. She has sooo many of these big and small all over her house!!!

 

[glitterata]

Thank you, Burberrygirl! YayTacori, I would love to visit your MIL''s house.

 

[jewelerman]

Date: 12/10/2009 4:55:59 PM
Author: glitterata

Date: 12/10/2009 4:43:32 PM
Author: Circe
What a great miniature - the portrait is a work of art, and the NAME! Good lord, it makes me want to write a novel about the mysterious life of Eva S. Strange (and her daughter, for that matter).

You know, I had the same thought. Now when a novel appears with Eva S. Strange and her daughter in it, everybody will wonder whether it''s by Circe or Glitterata. (Or a lurker, of course.)

What a great piece!This woman has a very mysterious look about her!I Say she was lived a double life spying for the the northern states in the civil war while helping slaves to gain their freedom by using her sothern plantation as a safe house...Yep,shes a myserious one alright!

 

[Imdanny]

I love it. Congrats!