Archive.org direct link
Open Library main page
Dudley Heath - Miniatures (1905)
Archive.org direct link
Open Library main page
Charles William Day - The Art of Miniature Painting (1852)
Archive.org direct link
Open Library main page
George Charles Williamson - Portrait Miniatures (1897)
Archive.org direct link
Open Library main page
J.J. Foster - Chats on Old Miniatures (1908)
Archive.org direct link
Open Library main page
It's probably no surprise that miniature paintings are small paintings, largely portraits and according to these books most common from the late Renaissance through the Victorian era. (There's another type of "miniature painting" which is still in existence and involves minature figures used for table-top games.) Some of the work here goes into more detail about the artists than I would have expected was known but then they're focusing on court or society works.
The book by John Lumsden Propert (1834-1902) seems to be the standard work on the subject. A quick search didn't find anything substantial that's more recent. Propert was a London physician who collected art and appears to have created the interest in miniatures. He claims to have written A History on slips of paper while making his medical visits. The first bookplate Aubrey Beardsley designed was for Propert (and is included below).
Dudley Heath (1867-1945) was the son of a miniatures painter who later added photography to his business. He followed in that career, also becoming an art historian and lecturer. A more full biography is online.
Charles William Day (dates not found) was best known for a popular 1836 etiquette manual that went through many editions and was published in the US. His book on miniatures is a how-to guide but seemed worth including.
George Charles Williamson (1858-1942) was a prolific author, usually on art history. He studied at the University of London and later became the art editor at the publisher George Bell. He contributed several entries to the 11th edition of the Britannica and to the Catholic Encyclopedia. Some of his paperes are held at Boston College.
In one of art's more curious developments there was a trend in the 18th century for miniature portraits of single eyes. (Of course there's a Wikipedia page.) According to Hanneke Grootenboer's 2012 Treasuring the Gaze: Intimate Vision in Late Eighteenth-Century Eye Miniatures, Williamson organized the first exhibition of these works in 1905. (n53 on p188)
Joshua James Foster (1847-1923) was born in Dorchester and trained in art publishing. He seems to have run the London Art Business, possibly a studio since a photo Foster made of Henry Irving is in the National Portrait Gallery. Foster published several works on art topics.
