Eye
Unknown Artist
1900s
Medium
watercolor on ivory set in a ring with split pearl border
Dimensions
unframed: h. 1 cm · diameter of frame 1.5 cm
Classification
Portrait Miniature
Department
American Painting and Sculpture
Museum
Cleveland Museum of Art
Credit
Gift of Mr. and Mrs. John W. Starr
Accession Number
1961.328
About this artwork
Eye miniatures were popular in Europe between 1790 and 1830. Only in a few extraordinary cases do we know whose eyes were painted and their limited scope makes it almost impossible to identify the artist, though we know that many famous miniaturists painted eye portraits including John Smart, Richard Cosway, and George Engleheart. Because the artist and the sitter could be known only to the person who commissioned or received the object, these eyes are distinguished from miniatures and portraits...