Miniatures, ancient and modern . ssible until the miniature is nearly finished,and then put on the fine stippling work, ofwhich the less there is the better. Coswayknew all this to perfection ; he thoroughlymastered the difficult art of painting broadly onivory at first, and then adding a few dexterousminute touches over the broad work, giving theappearance of an extraordinarily high finish allover, a great part of which is really onlyapparent. There is some work done on paper or cardby Cosway, which is perfection after its kindand cannot be too much studied. It is mainlyin pencil rapidly sket
Miniatures, ancient and modern . ssible until the miniature is nearly finished,and then put on the fine stippling work, ofwhich the less there is the better. Coswayknew all this to perfection ; he thoroughlymastered the difficult art of painting broadly onivory at first, and then adding a few dexterousminute touches over the broad work, giving theappearance of an extraordinarily high finish allover, a great part of which is really onlyapparent. There is some work done on paper or cardby Cosway, which is perfection after its kindand cannot be too much studied. It is mainlyin pencil rapidly sketched in, figures, often fulllength, but the faces are carefully finished incolour. These charming little portraits showCosway at his best, but good as they are, ifhe had never done anything else, his namewould by this time have been almost for-gotten. On the ground of his ivory miniatures onlyCosway would rank as one of our first minia-ture portraitists, but time has given him a moreimportant place in the art world than he would. PORTRAIT OF A LADYBy Richard Cosway THK .NiiW YOiiK ?:blic lissary » L RICHARD COS WAY 91 have occupied on the score of his work has become the master and prototype ofa long series of miniaturists who worked onivory, and may be rightly considered to be thefounder of the modern school of miniaturepainting. This is not only because he was thefirst important painter to use ivor} largely,althoug^h that has much to do with it, but hehappened just to hit upon the pose, dress,colour, and manner of working, which exactlysuit ivory. He thoroughly and instinctivelygrasped the peculiar requirements of ivory fora particular technique, and a particular artistictreatment. None of Cosways followers has, so far,bettered him in his own way, although many ofthem have been really better artists, just asno enameller has as yet been able to betterPetitq,t. Although we certainly are not likelyto get another Petitot, we may yet live inhopes of another Cosway, becau
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1900, bookdecade1900, booksubjectenamelandenameling
