Among modern miniaturists the work of Alyn Williams is of marked distinction and importance, and he has gathered about him a group of excellent modern miniature painters, but it would be invidious to name any others than Miss Brunton, whose work is so distinctive and almost miraculous in its combination of minute treatment and broad effect, that it stands out in sharp relief. Lately, an effort has been made to move away from the accepted microscopic minuteness to an effect of broader painting with excellent results, and even the modernist school has its exponents amongst the miniature painters of the present day, who aim at showing that the art is a living one, and that it progresses with the steady evolution that should characterize all artistic movements.
In the United States there have been many notable miniature painters. The earliest that can at present be identified was John Watson (c. 1715), who drew small portraits in pencil and in India ink. C. W. Peale was the most notable of the Philadelphia painters, and his works exhibit much charm. In Charleston (S.C.), Henry Bembridge did admirable work in about the middle of the century. Miniaturists who must be specially mentioned in connection with New York are J. S. Copley, Henry Pelham and Joseph Dunkerley, while John Ramage was also notable and for a while was known in connection with Boston also. Two Scotsmen, Archibald and Alexander Robertson, went out to America towards the end of the century, and did admirable work in miniature painting, as did also another Robertson, an Irishman named Walter. The best native talent in the United States belongs to a Rhode Island man, E. G. Malbone, and with him should be mentioned Benjamin Trott from Boston and Charles Fraser from Charleston; the latter continued to paint down to 185o. Perhaps the most famous of all was named Robert Field, who was responsible for some of the very finest miniatures ever painted in America. He is the subject of a notable book by H. Piers, Robert Field (1927).
Two New Englanders among the very last of the American miniature painters were Alban Clark of Massachusetts and R. M. Staigg of Newport, and in the early part of the 19th century, one ought not to forget to mention Henry Williams of Boston and Sarah Goodridge, and in New York, Dickinson, Wood, Inman and Cummings.
In France, there has always been a very important series of miniature painters. Amongst the earliest portraits on vellum and paper were those painted by Clouet, father and son, Perreal and Fouquet, and following them is a long series of excel lent painters who were, in almost every case, admirable draughts men and good colourists. Some of the finest portraits painted in France were, however, the work of a Swede named Pierre Adolphe Hall (1739-93), who, during the Pompadour period, was an ex ceedingly popular artist. A great painter was the Austrian, Hein
rich Fuger (1751-1818), who painted single portraits and groups on ivory in amazingly skilful fashion, charming graceful composi tions in excellent colour.
Of French painters, amongst the best known are Dumont, Sicardi, and in later days Isabey and Augustin; the former died in 1855 and the latter in 1832. Probably no Frenchman painted portraits more skilfully than did Augustin, and those he produced of the great Napoleon are unequalled for beauty and brilliance.
Quite another school of miniature painters was represented by Fragonard, whose portraits are painted with a brush very full of colour in exceedingly broad manner, with a marked absence of the excessive minuteness of technique which is usually exhibited in a miniature painter's work. Other names that ought to be mentioned are those of Drouais, Nattier, Largilliere and Perin. The great Boucher also was responsible for a few miniatures.
In Spain, Goya produced some excellent works, and there are also many other notable painters in Spain, who executed good miniatures.
Rosalba Carriera (1675-1757), the famous Venetian pastellist, was also a notable miniature painter One is not able to speak with certainty respecting the vehicles that were used by the earlier painters (see G. C. Williamson, The Art of the Miniature Painter, 1926). Probably Holbein's por traits were executed with a distemper vehicle, either the white or the yolk of egg, or both combined, and it has been stated that by analysis absolute proof has been obtained of Holbein's use of albumen, and of his arrangement to neutralize the alkaline action of the albuminous liquid by means of weak acetic acid. Hilliard certainly ground his colours with gum arabic, and other gums similar to that were used by those who followed him. Sugar candy also was used, sometimes in lieu of the gum, and sometimes in connection with it, and honey has also been mentioned as one of the vehicles used by these painters. The use of glycerine as a vehicle did not come about until after 1800. Hilliard certainly painted upon parchment, especially upon what he calls abortive parchment, and with long, slender, highly pointed brushes, in some cases made from the hair of the English squirrel. The use of opaque colours by miniature painters continued during the 18th century, in some instances we know exactly what they were, be cause Bernard Lens painted his own portrait with his palette, dated 1724, and shows on it the actual colours set on the palette.