What is the name and homepage of your art history blog?
The home page is supported by a dozen subsidiary online galleries, depicting miniature portraits from America, Britain, and Europe.
What or who fired your passion for art history?
I became interested in art history, via a family history project. Then attended an antique auction where a family group of miniature portraits was being split up. That seemed a shame, so I bought as many as I could afford. Since then the collection has grown to over 800 miniature portraits.
How long have you been blogging about art history?
Nearly four years, now generally with a new post once a month. I often get questions from people researching their family history who have found portraits of their distant ancestors on my website. It is great to be able to help them with their histories and learn more about artists and sitters.
Does your blog have a particular art-historic focus?
The focus is on miniature portraits. Wherever it is possible to identify a name, I research the artist or sitter, and share the information on my website in the online galleries. I also comment on new books and on fakes, to help new collectors learn how to spot fakes.
Have you run into any negatives while doing this?
I get many questions from readers, which I take trouble and time to always promptly reply to in detail. I rarely charge for my time in answering questions, but it is annoying that about half the people I respond to, do not even bother to thank me for answering their questions. That lack of appreciation continues to surprise me.
What about art history blogging fulfills you?
The lack of information on the subject got me started, as personally, I believe miniatures are entrancing, and the most under-rated aspect of fine art collecting, for several reasons.
a - The skill of the artists is fascinating when viewed under a magnifying glass, and one can accumulate an comprehensive collection which takes up only a small space.
b - I feel there is no other way an ordinary person can afford to buy original paintings by 18C and 19C artists whose work hangs in major museums of the world, such as the Met, Smithsonian, V&A, Louvre, Hermitage, Albertina etc. and in the major Royal collections. As an example, I have limited resources compared to wealthy miniature collectors, but still have been fortunate to gradually accumulate original works by artists represented in those and other collections at modest cost.
c - But probably for me, the best aspect is the research into named sitters, which is often absolutely fascinating. Starting with just a name and recreating a life of a forgotten person, some of whom turn out to be famous. I an often stunned by where the research leads, and I learn a lot of history in the process. Some American examples that were absorbing, are:
Portrait of Anne Tuttle Jones Bullard
Portrait of Theodosia Burr Alston
Much of the research into artists provides information that was previously unrecorded.
In addition, the research into a miniature portrait sometimes leads to a new view of history, as with a miniature portrait of Sir Anthony Carlisle by the great portraitist on enamel, Henry Bone. So much information emerged, it is now available for purchase as an ebook.
Advice
- If starting again, I think I would do little differently. I use a blog, which while is not ideal, has the advantage of simplicity.
