Study the dynamic art of portrait miniatures in <i>Portrait Miniatures From the Time of Holbein to That of Sir William Ross: a Handbook for Collectors</i> by art historian George Williamson, which surveys the works of the artists who made portrait miniatures. Williamson explains that the practice of portrait miniature originated in manuscript illustration, and may also be an outgrowth of treaties and maps, which often attached portraits of ambassadors for verification. "Miniature" in this context refers to the fact that the paintings were actually portable.<br><br>The book begins with a 40-page essay and is followed by dozens of reproductions of the paintings discussed within the text. Williamson identifies Hans Holbein as the greatest painter of portrait miniatures and he presents several examples of Holbein's art, explaining what it is that makes the examples 'masterworks'. One of the portraits pictured in the book was on loan from J.P. Morgan's private collection and many of the portraits reproduced for the book were leant by their famous collectors.<br><br>Englishmen Samuel Cooper is considered the greatest English practitioner of portrait miniatures. Little is known about Cooper's life even to this day, and Williamson connects the dots that are known about his life supported by evidence from the paintings. In the 18th Century, painters like Richard Cosway refined the techniques of Holbein, Cooper and others. Williamson helpfully notes that painters of the era were under different conditions than their predecessors. The public wanted paintings done faster and lighter, and with more charming and sensitive tones, and the reproductions attempt to illustrate this change in portrait miniatures.<br><br><i>Portrait Miniatures From the Time of Holbein to That of Sir William Ross: a Handbook for Collectors</i> concludes with Sir William Ross, who many consider the last of the great miniature portrait artists. Although the art may have gradually died out, the examples cited in this book are inspirational and the art lives on in collections and museums around the world. <i>Portrait Miniatures From the Time of Holbein to That of Sir William Ross: a Handbook for Collectors</i> was written for collectors, but anyone interested in art will enjoy the essay and paintings.<br><br>About the Publisher<br><br>Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com<br><br>This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.