History of Miniature Artists and Paintings

MINIATURE PORTRAITS PAINTED BETWEEN 1825 AND 1850
Following portraits from the Smithsonian American Art Museum Collection

Portrait of a Gentleman
ca. 1825
Nathaniel Rogers

Portrait of a Gentleman
ca. 1835
Hugh Bridport

Portrait of a Gentleman
ca. 1840
Unidentified

Portrait of a Gentleman
1842
Moses B. Russell

Samuel H. Lambdin of Mississippi
1850
James Reid Lambdin

Before the 19th century, pioneers were busy fighting Indians and building log cabins, and had little time or money to have their portrait painted.

Leon Nigrosh writes in his article on miniatures: "Just why this type of portraiture became so popular in America in the early 1800's is hard to figure. Only rarely did the artists truly have the skills to use such a difficult technique. And it was rarer still that a miniature painter captured his subject's true likeness. Most likely, they were popular for sentimental reasons - as personalized brooches and pendants and such they acted as constant reminders of loved ones".

These tiny likenesses were particularly rewarding to hold in the hand and these cherished miniatures were produced in considerable numbers before the invention of the photograph. Before the 1840's, this was the only way to record an individual's likeness.

Most often miniatures were not worn as jewelry, but housed in leather cases for protection from light damage and scratches. The painting was not to be kept by the subject of the likeness, but to be kept by the owner as an aid in visualizing the beloved person portrayed, sometimes hidden in secret drawers of a desk designed for this very purpose.

They marked a time of change in a person's life: engagement, political career, or death. They were the ultimate symbol of love and commitment, and as highly prized as full-size portraits on oil.

Mary Todd’s father had his miniature painted when he was engaged to be married, and Mary Todd’s sister, Francis Todd Wallace had her miniature portrait painted depicting her holding her first child who died in infancy. Joshua Speed, Lincoln’s best friend and confidant, who was married the same year as Lincoln, had his portrait miniature painted upon his engagement.

The earliest KNOWN painting of Lincoln was made in 1860, almost 2 decades after this miniature was painted. This miniature resembles NONE of Mildred’s family, nor does it resemble the Todd family.

ARTISTS

With all known miniature portrait artists in the area at this time, OLIVER FRAZER and G.P.A. HEALY may be the strongest candidates to have painted this miniature.

Following information is taken from Jouett-Bush-Frazer Early Kentucky Artists by William Barrow Floyd:

Oliver Frazer was born in Lexington Kentucky in 1808 and lived right down the street from Mary Todd Lincoln. At the age of 20 he studied under the instruction of Mathew Jouett (who painted Mary Todd's father's engagement miniature). In 1838 he opened a studio at 12 East Main Street and did not wait long for sitters, receiving encouragement from the first families of the cities. He charged a respectable $50.00 per portrait. Frazer's best portraits were a masterful, and his early portraits were sometimes attributed to Jouett in error.

Miniature Portrait for Stylistic Comparison

1840 Portrait of Mrs. Richard Downing (Mildred's maiden name). Mrs. Downing was Frazer's cousin.

1840 miniature of Henry Clay by Frazer.

1845 miniature of Henry Clay by Savinien Edme Dubourjal, who worked with and was friends of Healy and Frazer.

1845 full scale portrait of Henry Clay by G.P.A. Healy.

"Several characteristics which are frequently associated with Frazer's work: tousled hair, highlighted with broad, sweeping brush strokes; a contrast in background colors from light in the center of the canvas to dark at the upper and lower extremities; an unusually elongated neck; and a thin, almost hatchet-faced head. Often his subjects seem to be extremely slender, with their heads elevated a bit too high above their shoulders to be anatomically correct". Frazer is noted for posing his male sitters with a slight tilt of the head during the period of 1839-1840, along with highlights of color on the lips and hair to create a contrast of colors on the canvas.

Bright coloring is almost a trademark of his works. His lines were simple, his coloring transparent and his textures were firm. His likenesses were accurate depictions of his sitters and he was not a flatterer. "While Frazer is best known for his oil portraits, he also painted some very fine miniatures and occasionally worked in water colors. Few of his miniatures are authenticated today".

George P.A. Healy, another well-known artist who for a brief period shared Frazer's studio and whose work is often mistaken with Frazer. G.P.A. Healy painted each of the following portraits:

Oliver Frazer, a few years older than Healy, visited Healy when he traveled to France and became Healy's first serious pupil. In turn, Healy stayed with his friend Oliver Frazer when visiting Lexington.

Healy traveled in the same social circles as Lincoln and Mary Todd and is famous for his Lincoln portraits which hang in The White House, National Portrait Gallery, and Chicago Historical Society. In 1860 G.P.A. Healy painted a beardless likeness of Abraham Lincoln in Springfield, Illinois.