Jane

This work characterizes the new approach to the portrait miniature during its twentieth-century renaissance. Unlike the sentimental, private objects of the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries, revival miniatures functioned as aesthetic objects in their own right. In addition, artists emulated contemporary trends in full-scale oil painting, including loose brushwork and an interest in allover decorative patterns. The Brooklyn Museum led the way in institutional collecting of modern miniatures with the 1931 acquisition of seventeen works; as a result, the Museum’s holdings are especially strong in revival examples.