COLLECTING NEOCLASSICAL MINIATURES

Chiara Parisio

In the previous issue of "Cambi Auction Magazine" (n. 9, September 2015) we presented miniatures both as a small format painting and as a painting technique. On this occasion we want to illustrate some criteria in order to establish a collection.

Apart from the personal taste, which is always an indisputable choice, a collection acquires greater consistency (also for the economic implications) if it is homogeneous, especially in quality, which always pays. Certain works, signed by recognised authors, evidently give more guarantees, but also many anonymous miniatures, constantly in the viewfinder of the scholars, may be pleasantly surprising.

A general criterion is the geographical area chosen to be favoured, as the Italian, French, German or English school. A further step consists in the type to be found, usually chosen in the context of the portrait, the most frequently represented genre (but there are also landscapes, in the fixe variant).

In the time period considered (1775-1825 approx), which is the golden age for the miniature, the commissioning, originally only aristocratic, started including high and middle bourgeoisie...