ABSTRACT
Miniatures and Silhouettes in Montreal, 1760-1860
Roslyn Rosenfeld
1981
This thesis studies the history of miniatures and
silhouettes in Montreal between 1760 and 1860. These minor art forms offered portraiture
of a smaller, more personal and generally less expensive character than the full scale
sort. As the colonial elite which patronized them was not numerous enough to support the
development of a local school, their creation remained in the hands of itinerants. The
latter were mainly foreign born, with Americans and British predominating. They plied a
variety of artistic skills during their brief sojourns in the city. These artists ranged
in talent from the highly accomplished, such as miniaturists John Ramage and Anson
Dickinson, and silhouettists Eliab Metcalf and Master Hankes, to the pedestrian. Despite
efforts to identify all who worked in Montreal, many remain anonymous. A composite picture
is drawn of the itinerants, describing their origins, training methods of work and life
style.
The study of stylistic developments was based upon
examination of miniatures and silhouettes in local collections. Both art forms are traced
from their appearance in Montreal (the miniature ca. 1760, the silhouette ca.1800) to
their period of greatest popularity (1800-1815) and their demise following the advent of
photography.
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