Enigmatic eye miniature

A brooding, atmospheric eye miniature, circa 1780. The 18 carat cannetille gold pendant frame contains a watercolour miniature of a male eye with blue iris, within a surround of grey clouds, denoting mourning. Eye miniatures were a curious anomaly in miniature painting which became fashionable towards the end of the 18th century. They were an extremely intense manifestation of an already emotionally charged art, apparently an attempt to capture ‘the window of the soul’, the supposed reflection of a person’s most intimate thoughts and feelings. Some eye miniatures were expressions of love, and some, like this, were expressions of loss. The miniature is beautifully executed, the colour palette and composition of the  portrait are in the manner of Richard Cosway. To reverse is a tree of life fashioned from macerated hair, under crystal. The tree of life symbolised the cycle of life, death and rebirth. The pendant measures 2 and 1/4 inches by 1 and 3/4 inches. There is a tiny section, less than 1/2 a centimetre, of a gold petal missing at 7 o’clock. Lord only knows where that little bit went. Apart from that, the whole remains immaculate.

sold

Ivory exemption ref : 6YP4BERL