item details
NameMiniature painting
ProductionA Shelley; Late 1780s; France
Classificationminiatures, paintings, portraits
Materialswatercolour, paper, copper alloy, glass, ivory, beeswax
DimensionsOverall: 7mm (width), 101mm (height), 79mm (length)
Registration NumberGH003099
Credit lineBequest of Ethel M Anderson Estate, 1971
Overview
This miniature painting shows a woman in the fashionable dress of her time. A large hat, pale chemise dress, and masses of grey powdered ringlets proclaim the late 1780s.
Mini mementoes
Just as today people might carry a photo of a loved one in a wallet, in times past people kept small portrait paintings close to them. Often they wore them around the neck or concealed them in vest pockets. The beautiful and valuable way in which the portraits were set in their lockets reflected the precious bond between the lovers. Some were even backed with a braided lock of the beloved's hair.