The Famous Pierpont Morgan Miniature Collection

John Pierpont Morgan, Sr. (April 17, 1837 - March 31, 1913)

John Pierpont Morgan was a financier and banker of considerable wealth. By 1901 he was one of the wealthiest men in the world with a fortune estimated to be $ 1.4 billion in today's terms. He was a fearsome man as the photograph here appears to portray. It was suggested that the arm of the chair he is holding looked like a knife being pointed at the viewer! Morgan was a collector of books, clocks, gems, paintings and other art objects. His collection of portrait miniatures was probably the greatest private collection that has ever existed. His private library for his book collection and art works in 36th Street New York was made a public institution in 1925. However the miniature collection of 795 pieces was sold and dispersed in a three day sale in1935 at Christie's in London. The sale realised $349,285 ($5,460,000 in today's values) which was only two thirds of what was thought Morgan had paid in total for the collection. Some of the most important and famous pieces are now owned by major museums. Shown below are some images of hand coloured facsimilies from the catalogue of the Pierpont Morgan Collection, written by Dr. George Williamson and published in 1906. Only 20 copies of this special hand made catalogue were produced, showing this extraordinary collection.

Charles de Cosse by Jean Clouet, thought to be the very first 'stand alone' portrait miniature to exist when the artist cut it out of an illuminated manuscript he had painted

Mary, Duchess of Richmond and Lenox (1625-1685) by Jean Petitot

Mrs Pemberton by Hans Holbein which was purchased in 1904 for £2750 (£220,000 in today's values) One of the most famous miniatures in the world, it is now in the V & A Museum London

The 'Armada Jewel' with a portrait of Queen Elizabeth I by Nicholas Hilliard

Lucy, Countess of Bedford, attributed by Williamson in 1906 to John Bossam

Madame Du Barry by Richard Cosway

Mrs. Oakeley (1762-1839) by John Smart

Unknown Lady and family by Samuel Shelley

Artist's son by J H Fragonard

Madame Elizabeth by Jean Liotard

Soloman Ben Israel by P A Hall

Jean Pierre Pagin by Francois Dumont

General Kleber (1753-1800) by Jean Guerin

Children of Madame du Coincy by Jean-Baptiste Augustin

Self Portrait by Jean-Baptiste Augustin

A sweet shop for miniaturists

Walking through Great Russell Road in London recently towards the British Museum we came

across L. Cornelissen and Son established in 1855. Looking in the window was like stepping back a hundred years with a large array of pigments, gums and resins in small dishes. They have a huge range of rare and early colours and just about anything a miniature artist would require, except of course ivory.

Their web site is http://www.cornelissen.com

Later Miniatures in the Collection (Not in Catalogue)

1893. Signed and dated. Robert Henderson . Master William George Barnes, aged 6

1903 Signed and dated. Mohala Theodora Webb. Jack Russell Terrier called 'Spot'

C.1905 Signed. Kate Earle. Little Girl Holding Flowers

1929 Signed and dated. Amy Gertrude Chamberlin. Lady reading a letter

1959 Signed and dated. Mohala Theodora Webb. Two Poodles

c.1905 Signed. E. Sartori. Unknown Lady

c.1900 Signed A.L. Unknown gentleman

1923 signed and dated. Louis Jules Minard. Girl with fair hair

c. 1950 Signed K.C. Little Girl in yellow ribbon

1947 Signed and dated A.S. A Priest

c.1930 Signed. Kate Winifred Walker. Mrs. 'Katrine' Murray Austin

1908 Signed and dated. Hannah Elizabeth Smith. Miss Edith Smith

c.1890 Signed. Hugh Nicholson. Mrs. C. A. Goodday

1965 Signed and dated. Violet Young. Pekinese called 'Suki' aged 9

CATALOGUE OF OUR COLLECTION

THE ARTURI PHILLIPS COLLECTION: A catalogue of Portrait Miniatures. Featuring the work of over 130 artists dating from 1588-2004. ISBN 978-2-9536625-0-4. 447 pages all in colour, hardback, printed on art paper, with a double page devoted to each miniature, including full page enlargements showing brushstrokes, signatures, etc. In this book, which we have written for collectors, we discuss our collecting criteria, our experiences in buying miniatures both from auctions and dealers, our techniques for photographing them and our storage solutions. There is also much new information on later artists. Weighing 2.5 KG (5.1/2 lbs) and with a retail price of Euros78 (£65) Please email us or obtain your copy from Thomas Heneage Art Books in London

(email artbooks@heneage.com) or for Australia copies may be obtained from Armadale Antique Centre (contact through their website www.armadaleantiquecentre.com.au)

For the United States please obtain your copy from CAP Miniatures New York

(email capminiatures@aol.com)


Also available for purchase on line at Amazon and W.H. Smith

Recent additions to the collection 28th. May 2010

c.1910. Signed. Luie Chadwick. Girl with peacock feathers.

c.1910. Signed. Luie Chadwick. Girl in green hat.

c.1910. Signed E Gregon. Boy in sailor suit.

c.1905. Signed. Lionel (Hugh) Heath. Unknown lady.

c.1840. Louis Francois Aubry. Monsieur Rivio, opera singer.

c.1799. N. Freese. The Hon. Mary Ann Adams.

1789. Signed and dated. Horace Hone. Unknown Lady.

1651. Signed and dated. Samuel Cooper. Possibly Richard Cromwell.

The enamel back of the above Samuel Cooper original frame.

c.1640. Signed. John Hoskins. Charles I.

Please note that the above miniatures will not be in the book publication of the collection

Artist identification

This lovely miniature of a young girl has the artist initials MJH

One of our members, Joy, who owns this miniature, would love to hear from

anyone who might know the name of this artist or any suggestions as to who

the artist it might be.

Please leave your comments and suggestions here on this post.

Thank you

A visit to Saint Die-Des-Vosges

Museum Pierre-Noel, Saint Die des Vosges, France

Jean-Baptiste Augustin Exhibition

17th. April - 20th. June 2010

Claude Derville Malechard, signed and dated 1801 by Jean-Baptiste Augustin (1759- 1832) from our collection

A Visit to St. Die-des-Vosges, (birth place of Jean-Baptiste Augustin) April 2010.

If we had to choose a miniaturist who stands above all others then Augustin would have to be high if not first on the list, so to visit his home town and see an Exhibition celebrating the 250 year anniversary of his birth was very exciting for us.

We were surprised to find that the town had been almost completely re-built after the war and does not give an impression of what it might have been like during Augustin’s day. One imagines it was a small sleepy backwater with tiny houses and cobbled streets. Seeing the dramatic backdrop of densely forested hills, as seen from the position of where his family house once stood, it is possible to see why he said that he got his inspiration from meditation and nature.

A lovely catalogue has been produced for the Exhibition, albeit in French, which was good practise for us!

Several miniatures in the Exhibition were lent by The Louvre Museum, Paris and The Tansey Foundation. (http://www.miniaturen-tansey.de/en/miniatures)

The story of Augustin's life was told using panels around the room with the exhibits in glass top desk- like cases in the centre. Some magnifying glasses were helpfully supplied on each case, fastened with a short lead, as a reminder to the user not to take it away! Unfortunately we were not allowed to take any photographs inside the Exhibition room.

Augustin came from a modest family, his grandfather being a baker and his father a glass worker. His huge talent made him very successful after his move to Paris. After considerable early success, he met and married his true love Pauline Du Cruet, 22 years his junior, who came from high society and elevated his social status. During his career, his thriving studio had over four hundred pupils, eager to learn his painting techniques. His wife, also a miniaturist, was one of his most accomplished pupils. The couple were obviously a love-match, but had no children. Augustin's ' rags to riches 'story is the stuff of Hollywood movies!

One intriguing exhibit was the preparatory drawings for his masterpiece of Marie-Therese Charlotte, the Duchess d’Angouleme. From these drawings, Augustin painted a large miniature about ten inches high, on ivory. Two copies of this painting are known to be in existence, one dated 1818 and another 1824. They represent Augustin at the height of his powers. The detail is extraordinary with his usual superb flesh tones. We show here details of the diamond tiara showing the different reflective colours in the stones, the lightness of the feather headdress and of course his wonderful technique for eyes.

Marie-Therese-Charlotte, Duchess d'Angouleme

Headdress detail

Detail of hand on breast

Detail of her dress

The colour catalogue of the Exhibition costs Euros 20, ISBN 978-2-9532029-6-0.