The Romantic Era was a particularly splendid epoch in miniature portraiture. A host of artists created portraits of great sensitivity and remarkable technical perfection. 142 masterpieces from the famous Tansey Collection illustrate the golden age of an art which was forced to give way to photography during the 19th century.

The Romantic Era was also the high point and the swan song of miniature painting. More people than ever collected tiny portraits of their nearest and dearest, which they carried with them or collected at home to reate a pictorial family album. 142 works, most of them by French, German and Austrian artists, are presented and shown in outstanding colour illustrations – some also with large-format detail views. They are souvenir portraits which depict men, women and children naturally as well as in their private lives.

Contributions by: Bernardo Falconi, Nathalie Lemoine-Bouchard