Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art presents Formed from Fire: Enamel Portrait Miniatures
Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art 4525 Oak Street, Kansas City, MO, United StatesPortrait miniatures are intimate tokens of love, loss, allegiance, and affection exchanged between friends. The earliest examples were painted in watercolor on vellum (animal skin). By the 1600s, new techniques of painting enamels facilitated an artist’s ability to paint delicate portraits resembling tiny oil paintings. They offered a robust alternative to watercolor on ivory or…