Unknown man
Portrait Miniature
ca. 1663-1670 (made)
ca. 1663-1670 (made)
Artist/Maker | |
Place of origin |
In the last decades of the 17th century, a new form of small portraiture developed to challenge the dominance of the watercolour miniature portrait painted on vellum (fine animal skin). These small portraits became known as ‘plumbagos’ (plumbago is black lead), but the medium was in fact graphite. This delicate black-and-white portrait art originated in the print and book trades of the Netherlands in the late 16th century. Originally intended as preparatory drawings for prints, ‘plumbago’ drawings also demonstrated a printmaker's graphic skill, and they became desirable in their own right. Working on vellum rather than the more perishable paper, print-makers such as David Loggan offered works with the stature of miniature painting, but at a lower cost. Additionally, ‘plumbagos’ were more easily translatable into print form, providing the client with almost exact reproductions.
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Object details
Categories | |
Object type | |
Title | Unknown man (popular title) |
Materials and techniques | Plumbago (graphite) on vellum |
Brief description | Plumbago portrait miniature on vellum depicting an unknown man by David Loggan. Great Britain, ca. 1663-1670. |
Physical description | Plumbago portrait miniature on vellum depicting an unknown man with long hair, wearing a lace collar and a thick coat. |
Dimensions |
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Style | |
Summary | In the last decades of the 17th century, a new form of small portraiture developed to challenge the dominance of the watercolour miniature portrait painted on vellum (fine animal skin). These small portraits became known as ‘plumbagos’ (plumbago is black lead), but the medium was in fact graphite. This delicate black-and-white portrait art originated in the print and book trades of the Netherlands in the late 16th century. Originally intended as preparatory drawings for prints, ‘plumbago’ drawings also demonstrated a printmaker's graphic skill, and they became desirable in their own right. Working on vellum rather than the more perishable paper, print-makers such as David Loggan offered works with the stature of miniature painting, but at a lower cost. Additionally, ‘plumbagos’ were more easily translatable into print form, providing the client with almost exact reproductions. |
Bibliographic reference | Victoria and Albert Museum, Department of Engraving, Illustration and Design and Department of Paintings, Accessions 1927, London: Board of Education, 1928. |
Collection | |
Accession number | P.18-1927 |
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Record created | February 25, 2003 |
Record URL |
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