The Hundred Years' Wardrobe

A post in sca got me poking around for miniature frames again today. I'm starting to have a little more hope about uncovered miniatures, but I'm not completely sold yet.

Here is an oil-on-wood portrait attributed to Holbein. It's more of the "cabinet miniature" size (5" diameter), so it's not a surprise that it's uncovered. Mostly I just wanted to have a link to it for later.

These two give me a little more hope, though I'd have to check to see if the frames are original. I had hoped that this one was contemporary, but when I contacted the museum they said it was a later frame and of quite poor quality to boot.

The narrow gold frames with simple bails that are commonly seen on miniatures in museums could conceivable be contemporary, I suppose, but they could just as easily be later or even modern. There are also many gilded wood frames that I somehow doubt would have been worn, even though quite a few have loops at the top.

I'm working on a new miniature portrait project, and I decided to experiment with starch glue this time. I finally got a copy of Hilliard's Arte of Limning, where he says that the vellum should be "pasted with starch well strained one pastbourd well burnished". I started with a recipe I found online, which was basically "put 250g of flour into 1 liter of water, boil for 10 minutes". I reduced it to 50g and 200 mL, and it still made a whole lot more than I'll ever need. I ended up adding some more water too, to thin it out a bit. I'm doubtful that the leftovers will really stay usable, but that's okay.

I spread the glue on the back of my light boxed sketches and stuck them to squares of heavy cold press paper The glue is not very tacky to start with, and the pergamenata curled immediately. I stuck both of the tablets into my big book press and hoped for the best.

I just checked on them, and the glue is still pretty damp. I think I'll just leave them in there for the rest of the day. Better safe than sorry.

This scroll got done just in time for Golden Lily. Edila did all the important parts; I did the miniature and the escutcheon at the bottom.

A couple of new miniature portraits of attack_laurel and her husband:

I've been a busy bee lately. I painted another miniature portrait, taught a class on late period construction techniques, and got a new job. During my last weeks of leisure before I return to the world of gainful employment, I've been working on my new 16c. suit. ( Details )

I've been toying with the idea for a while of trying my hand at painting miniature portraits. The results so far (save one I forgot to take a picture of before giving it away) are here. Comments on the individual portraits can be found there as well.

( Details )