THE ENAMELIST SOCIETY NEWSLETTER D edi ca t ed t o t h e A r t o f Ena m el i ng 6 The Enamelist Society Newsletter - Spring 2019 The Intimate Vision of the Late 18th Century Eye Miniatures By Barbara McFadyen The Eye Miniatures of the late 18th century friend and much celebrated court miniaturist, comprise a unique subgenre of mourning and Richard Cosway (fig.1). sentimental jewelry in the Georgian era, spanning the years of 1770-1830. Straddling miniature Moved by the prince's proposal and perhaps painting and portrait art, this short-lived rage the intimate gaze of his eye miniature, Mrs. faded into oblivion in the early 19th century. These Fitzherbert accepted. They were married in a unique portraits of a single eye imbued with an secret ceremony on December 15th, 1785. Shortly air of secrecy are now collectively referred to as after their clandestine wedding, Mrs. Fitzherbert "Lover's Eyes" yet they were not limited to those commissioned Cosway, to paint her own eye for exchanged between lovers. They also served the prince as a birthday gift. It was this romantic as portraits of remembrance to commemorate exchange of eye portraits that set off a trend among friendships, family members and those loved nobility that gradually spread across and lost. By looking back at their viewer, the eye Europe, reaching a peak in the first decade of the portraits created a reciprocal mode of viewing called intimate vision, which brings the gaze of 19th century. These intimate tokens of love have another into the heart of private experience. A become known today as Lover's Eyes, a genre symbolic sentimental language was hidden by largely overlooked by scholars. There remain fewer means of gemstones and imagery, within these than 1,000 in existence today. exquisite miniatures and their elaborate settings. As one of the oldest and most powerful symbols It all began with a forbidden romance, on a fateful used by man, the eye has long been considered the evening at the Opera in 1784, when the Prince window of the soul, revealing and concealing one's of Wales fell in love at first sight of the beautiful deepest thoughts and emotions. Eye miniatures commoner, Maria Fitzherbert. Soon after, the endeavored to capture this window of the soul and smitten 21-year-old Prince declared his wish reflection of a person's most intimate thoughts and to marry her. The Royal Marriage Act however, feelings. Sharing in the same economy of gift giving stipulated that Prince could not be married without as sentimental jewelry, these eye portraits were his father, the King's, consent until the age of 25. exchanged not only between lovers, but families It was unlikely King George Ill would approve the and friends. A gift that was almost always meant twice widowed Catholic Maria. to remain secret, the eye painting was designed to be recognizable only to the recipient. Enveloped The Prince secretly with an air of mystery and anonymity, the gaze proposed marriage of the eyes was to be treasured in solitude. In to Maria November some cases, the eye miniature was also intended 3rd, 1785 in his to act as a vehicle of protection watching over famed letter with the recipient and served as a source of comfort the postscript that or reassurance when the beloved was not near. read, "P.S. I send The 18th century was a visual culture obsessed you a Parcel...and with seeing, being seen and seeing without being I send you at the seen. As a highly intensified portrait miniature, same time an Eye, if painted eyes also participated in these games of you have not totally looking. In the portrayal of the gaze, the eye is forgotten the whole always returning the gaze it gets and becomes countenance, I think both receiver and transmitter, creating a unique the likeness will strike you". In Figure l reversal of subject-object position. place of a wedding ring, Prince George sent a Eye miniatures were rendered in watercolor on miniature of his own eye painted by his close ivory and vellum, or gouache on card depending on The Enamelist Society Newsletter Spring 2019 7 the financial means of the buyer. Covered in glass delighted in the practice of floriography, for protection and always painted in miniature, eye and also valued the language of portraits ranged in size from a half to a centimeter gemstones, utilizing jewelry to or two. The only details included were of the communicate the surrounding face, feelings and attributes of the beloved in a unique form of sentimental discourse. Pearls, a particular favorite, were Figure 3 found in abundance in lover's eye jewelry. Through their chaste and perfect roundness, they have been thought to express purity and love. There is also a strong link between pearls and tears, through their close connection with the sea. In Figure 2 some eye miniatures, tears are suggested not only by the pearl surrounds, but also by the drop-like eyelashes and brow, a wisp of hair, or the bridge shape of their settings (fig.3). of a nose...hinting at but not revealing the individual’s true identity. These miniature gifts Diamonds were found in the most were given among the royalty in court or those costly and exquisitely crafted of the upper classes that could afford them. Set settings due to their value and in decorative frames of gold and encrusted with rarity, for patrons with pearls, diamonds and other precious stones these exceptional means. A brilliant tiny paintings were transformed into jewels. The example is this gold ring (fig.4) striking imbalance between the lavish style of the crested with a diamond coronet, elaborate frame and the eye's simple content is which is attributed to Thomas arresting and the rich details compensate for the Richmond the Elder who studied simplicity of the eye's representation (fig.2). Figure 4 briefly under George Engleheart. This eye miniature alludes to a double symbolic The settings for eye miniatures encompass an meaning; the earl's coronet indicates the noble astonishing array of decorative and functional identity of the sitter, whereas the heart shape objects, from simple lockets and lavish rings, denotes love and the crown signifies fidelity. Over brooches and pendants to snuff boxes, toothpick the centuries, the diamond's immutability has made cases, and watch fobs. Those carried on one's it a symbol of strength and constancy, suitable to person in the form of a small box, held trinkets, the loving sentiment of such a gift. toothpicks, or even faux beauty marks called patches. The majority of "lover's eyes" however, Coral, although less were designed and worn as jewelry, in the form precious than pearls, was of pendants, rings and brooches. The wearing very popular in jewelry of eye miniatures was strictly gendered. It was of the Georgian Era. acceptable for women to display portraits on their It had the distinction bodies; however, men would risk a perceived of being the only natural loss of masculinity if they were to do so. material that was equally at Generally, men wore eye miniatures under their Figure 5 home for day (undress), lapels or inside their coats. late afternoon (half dress), or for evening (full Eye miniatures are rooted in an 181h-191h century dress). Considered the pearl's companion, coral code of chivalry in which symbols of gems and was at the same time, its opposite. Also coming flowers held special meanings. The Victorians 8 The Enamelist Society Newsletter - Spring 2019 from the sea, its deep vermillion color was a stark a profusion of gifts among the royalty, which in turn contrast to the creamy white of the pearl. As a set off a fashion that eventually spread to the middle material with a longstanding history of special classes (fig.7). powers, coral was believed to protect the wearer from peril by its strong color repelling misfortune In the early nineteenth century, and harm (fig.5). Long credited with having the eye miniatures evolved into power to ward off the evil eye, coral was used a form of memorial jewel ry. in the 19th century for its amuletic power in the The focus of the eye was a form of children's coral bead necklaces or coral remembrance often confirmed branches attached to baby's rattles. by the presence of an inscription, or suggested by swirling clouds and The most desirable gemstone of all in Georgian Figure 8 and blue sky, signifying a beloved's jewelry was the garnet. Flat cut garnet jewelry passage into heaven and the hereafter. Of was in high demand in the eighteenth century as it these many lover's eyes that served a memorial was affordable and considered to be attractive on function, only some can be classified as true almost every complexion. The most popular trait mourning jewelry; constituted by those worn associated with the garnet was true friendship, during a prescribed period of grieving. Georgians felicity and constancy. An eye miniature would were expected to go into full mourning and wear have been given to a dear friend or confident as a only black after the death of a family member or symbol of amity. loved one and activities were severely limited. The mourning codes during the Victorian period Like coral, turquoise was also were even more stringent, especially after the thought to have a death of Prince Albert. After a suitable period of talismanic effect and time the bereaved would enter half mourning, believed to _,-...,, when the somber colors of lavender and grey were "strengthen the sight introduced, until the appropriate amount of time and spirits of its passed and life resumed with all its colors.