Comprising nearly three-hundred objects, The Starr Collection of Portrait Miniatures, 1500–1850 is divided by culture and era into four volumes plus a supplement.
This first volume features miniatures by artists from Continental Europe (France, Germany, Sweden, and Switzerland), including a fine example by Jean Petitot, Portrait of a Woman, 1670s, and the United States of America, including several by members of the celebrated Peale family, Charles Willson Peale, James Peale Sr. and Anna Claypoole Peale. The volume also contains entries on thirteen eye miniatures and a dozen so-called “Decorative Miniatures” (which were typically mass produced). It also includes essays about the history and evolution of portrait miniatures and the history of the Starr Collection (coming in early 2024).
The remaining three volumes and supplement are listed below:
Volume 3: British part 2: Georgian (1714–1837; artists’ last names F–Z)
Volume 4: The World of John Smart (English, 1741–1811), which also includes all artists’ biographies and glossary terms
Supplement: Starr Miniatures in Other Collections
For a full list of the contents of each volume, see the series contents page. The catalogue will be published every six months beginning in early 2024, with object entries, introductory essays, and biographies added in their associated volume.
doi: 10.37764/8322.1