The Magnitude of Small things

From XVIII century in France, as in Europe too, an enthusiasm for allegoric scenes and mythological figures spreads, a phenomenon known as miniature gender. Society wants to evade reality in favor of dreamy and fairy subjects  

Because of the high artistic quality, miniature portrait is an instrument of success and recognition for powerful people and artists who want leaving a mark. From Marie Antoinette to Vittorio Alfieri, the key-word is power  

From XVIII century, the portrait is also a statement of love feelings, which create an emotional relationship between the donor and the recipient. On the one side the face of the beloved, on the other not only messages of love but also hair strands arranged along precious and complex structures.  

Miniature portrait was an intimate present as a reminder of love and devotion. Often, it decorated  bracelets, lockets or pins fixed on ties and ribbons 

«I should be exquisitely miserable without the hope of soon seeing you. I should be afraid to separate myself far from you..[...] My Love is selfish – I cannot breathe without you.» John Keats

In the nineteenth century, miniature portrait is expression of a wide range of feelings, not only love but also maternity and filial love