home  the collection

art in enamel - introduction

The Gilbert Collection is one of very few collections to concentrate on the enamel branch of miniature painting. Popular in 18th century Europe, enamelling is an exacting but effective technique where each colour, made of powdered glass, is separately fired at varying temperatures. The durability of enamel is such that the colours of flowers, faces and battle scenes depicted on the Continental snuffboxes remain as brilliant today as when they were first painted.

Many of the early enamellists were from a background of jewellery or goldsmithing and earned a living painting the rich and fashionable men and women of 18th and 19th century society. As well as contemporary portraits of George III, Queen Charlotte and George IV, the collection contains historical figures such as Oliver Cromwell, and a complete series of the Stuart dynasty of Scotland. There are works in the collection by Continental artists such as Charles Boit from Sweden and Christian Friedrich Zincke from Germany, who brought the technique to England. The collection is also strong in the works of later English enamellers, particularly Henry Bone who exhibited at the Royal Academy.

The information about objects in the art in enamel section is drawn largely from The Gilbert Collection Portrait Miniatures in Enamel by Sarah Coffin and Bodo Hofstetter. It is published by Philip Wilson Publishers Ltd., London, ISBN 0-85667-513-X. Copyright ©2000, Gilbert Collection. All rights reserved.

back to the collection