Eye Miniature on an Elliptical Ivory Box
ca. 1800
Medium
Painting-Miniature
Classification
Painting-Miniature
Department
Smithsonian Collection
Museum
Smithsonian American Art Museum
Credit
Smithsonian American Art Museum, Bequest of Mary Elizabeth Spencer
Accession Number
1999.27.77
Tags
About this artwork
Small paintings of eyes first became popular during the late eighteenth century. They reminded wearers of a loved one, whose identity remained a secret. The single eye also symbolized the watchful gaze of a jealous partner, who feared that his or her lover might stray. One of the earliest known eye miniatures was painted in 1786 by the English artist Richard Cosway for the Prince of Wales, later King George IV. The miniature showed the eye of Mrs. Fitzherbert, the prince's mistress. The eye mini...
Art Historical Context
Nestled in the Smithsonian American Art Museum, the *Eye Miniature on an Elliptical Ivory Box* (ca. 1800) is a delicate jewel of Regency-era sentimentality. Crafted by an unidentified artist, this miniature painting—likely watercolor on ivory—captures a single, expressive eye gazing out from its elegant elliptical case. Miniatures like this were prized for their tiny scale and intricate detail, demanding masterful brushwork to convey emotion in mere millimeters. Eye miniatures surged in popularity during the late eighteenth century as secretive tokens of affection. Worn close to the heart in ...
About the Artist
Unidentified ( ) · –