Portrait of a Lady by Rosalind Moran

Portrait of a Lady by Rosalind Moran

Portrait of a Lady

Portrait miniatures first captured eyes and gazes

in the 1520s; tokens at French and English courts

Some were made for worship, fingers stroking

their oils; others were simply objects to possess

The subjects, faces fine as butterflies’ wings,

peered out from within their gilded frames.

The wealthy began bearing Queen Elizabeth’s image

as a sign of loyalty; obsequious ego brushstrokes

Miniature painting soon became a genteel pastime

– not unlike flirtation! And as time went on,

budding artists turned the hobby into trade, offering

commission-only coin-sized keepsakes of loved ones…

These were carried in pockets, frames smoothed

within one’s palm – or shut tightly in lockets

(from which the subjects could never escape). More

than ever, we bore our hearts on sleeve or in hand.

Strange it may seem to shed light on the miniature

when the art of capturing likenesses has been so

thoroughly eclipsed. In 1839, photography snapped up

the rich, hungry market for faces – fixed, eternal

Few artists took up miniature painting thereafter.

This means if one wishes now for a lady’s portrait, one

must ask kindly, find good lighting; assure her she looks

fine (like art)! Make her laugh. Throw open the shutters.

It is 2020 and I do not carry a portrait miniature. I

have neither eyes in a locket nor a keepsake to clasp.

That said – I have a glancing of her smile; gazing up as

I unlock my phone (no keyhole). Is this the end of art history?

Today’s life trappings could seem impoverished – yet

I draw comfort from our endlessly familiar, artless ways.

Capturing character falls flat within screens as well as frames.

Caress my face, not my portrait. Neither of us is an oil painting.

 

Find more from Rosalind on her website, and follow her over on Twitter and Instagram.

 

Executive Producers

Daniel Henson

Sue White

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