Miniature paintings are executed on a very small scale and are generally done on perishable material such as cloth, paper, leaves, etc. It is also called limning, small, finely wrought portrait executed on vellum, prepared card, copper, or ivory. Miniature painting is an art form that is very rich in history that continues today by artists from around the globe.
Early miniature painting evolved from medieval manuscript illuminations and classical portrait medallions from Ancient Greece and Rome. In the 1520s in Europe, miniature portraits started being used as jewelry, in lockets and brooches, particularly in France and England.
Miniature painting became especially popular during the sixteenth-century reign of Elizabeth I of England and the popularity of these mementos spread from the court down to wealthy merchants.
Miniature paintings come from a cultural tradition which attributes the highest respect to the literary arts. These paintings were very much influenced by the mural paintings that originated during the latter half of the 8th century. Initially they were done on Palm leaves and later the work was done on paper.
European settlers brought miniature portraits with them to colonial America. Colonists continued to desire miniatures and therefore turned to local artists.
Miniature painting
