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Portrait art and its selling was
the topic of discussion at
the October meeting of the
Edenton Tea Party Chapter
Nancy Christman Reilly
of Piccolo Art has lived for
two years in Edenton and
before that, for thirteen years
in England. For six years
in England, she was an auctioneer
and valuer " "
In England Nancy, obtained an MFA from
the University of Manchester
after she had obtained
her BS from Wright State
University in Dayton, Ohio.
Nancy has been a dealer in Portraits and Portrait minitures for six years explained that Piccolo
Art is a dealer specializing
in antique portrait
miniatures and small portraits
from the 18th to the
early 20th centuries.
Whether starting a collection,
or added to an existing
one, Piccolo Art offers portrait
miniatures and small
portraits, with the emphasis
upon aesthetic appeal
and historic interest.
For centuries people have
been interested in the portrait
miniature for many
reasons — perhaps one of
the most important being
that the miniature has always
stood apart in the field
of portraiture.
Unlike the wall portrait,
which by its very size was
meant as a public object,
designed to flatter the sitter,
or impress the viewer,
the portrait
miniature
was initially
conceived
for quite different
reasons.
The “picture
in little”
(as they
were sometimes called) was
a private expression of one’s
self, often intended for the
eyes of a single loved one.
This reason alone imbues
the miniature with a level
of poignancy and intimacy
often missing from conventional
portraiture. In many
cases, the portrait miniature
may be the only real
likeness existing of a person.
Not surprisingly, the miniature
may be beautiful or
plain, compelling or evocative.
The birth of a child
was one of the reasons why
a miniature would be commissioned.
Miniatures were also
routinely given to solidify
a declaration of love or bestowed
at the time of an engagement
or marriage.
It is not unusual to find
a miniature with a “hair
catch” to the back which
contains a lock of the beloved’s
hair.
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