The exhibition presents painted portrait miniatures in the context of societal changes between the 17th and 20th centuries, which determined not only their diversity and spread, but also their methods of execution, artistic techniques, and materials. The latest and often surprising results obtained through detailed non-invasive research of miniatures at the ALMA laboratory (AVU Prague and ÚACH AV ČR) using contemporary analytical methods are presented, as well as the materials and tools used by miniaturists.
The exhibition takes place from June 25, 2022 to September 24, 2022 in the Local Museum of Chomutov, Starobylá radnice, náměstí 1. máje.
Virtual tour of the exhibition is available here.
ALMA Laboratory invites you to the exhibition Copies and Forgeries in portrait miniature. The painted portrait miniature is a distinctive pictorial movement that was born in England in the 16th century and reached the height of its popularity in Europe in the 18th and 19th centuries. However, a number of period-specific techniques were developed before it was eclipsed by the dynamic development of photography. Yet it is not easy to answer the question of whether a drawing, a photographic transfer, or a print raster lies beneath a brilliantly rendered painting – especially when no sample can be taken from a thin and precise painting on ivory for research. Today’s scientific instruments, however, can not only see beneath the surface, but can obtain surprisingly accurate information about the materials used, non-invasively, without any sampling. The exhibition thus opens up a fascinating story of the artistic development of miniatures, from masterful originals through period and later copies, leading ultimately to cheap imitations and forgeries. This is the first time that miniatures from Czech collections have been examined in this way.
The exhibition takes place from November 1, 2021 to January 14, 2022 in the Science and Art Gallery, Národní třída 3, Prague 1.
Authors of the exhibition: David Hradil, Janka Hradilová, Olga Trmalová
