Portrait of an unknown man

In its strict sense, the word ‘miniature’ describes a technique of painting in watercolour rather than the size of a painting. Miniature painting developed as a separate art in the 16th century and in Britain it became predominantly a portrait art. In Continental Europe, however, the taste for portraits small enough to be carried on the person was often met by artists working within very different artistic traditions. One type of ‘miniature’ (as all such small works are now known), produced more on the Continent than in Britain, was the oil miniature, usually painted on metal. This example is on copper and on the reverse of the copper is engraved an image of St Sebastian. Most such oil miniatures, like this one, are anonymous, since the art of painting small portraits in oil on metal was not one in which leading artists specialised. More often it was part of a repertoire of portrait styles offered by less well-known oil painters. One problem with oil miniatures, which probably became apparent quite quickly, is that the varnish often discolours, which results in a darkened effect, as seen in this oil miniature.