Portrait of General Sir Charles Grey, later 1st Earl Grey

Portrait of General Sir Charles Grey, later 1st Earl Grey by Henry Bone: Unlike fragile portrait miniatures painted in watercolor on vellum or ivory…

What to notice

In Portrait of General Sir Charles Grey, later 1st Earl Grey, start with classical, portrait, figurative. Then look closely at this museum-described detail: Partly for this reason enamel was considered ideal for reproducing famous paintings and treasured portraits in a reduced and luminous form.

Discover

Unlike fragile portrait miniatures painted in watercolor on vellum or ivory, which are prone to cracking, fading, and flaking, enamels are resilient, impervious to the effects of light, and retain their striking original colors over time. Partly for this reason enamel was considered ideal for reproducing famous paintings and treasured portraits in a reduced and luminous form. The complicated and labor-intensive process of enameling required the artist to fire numerous layers of colored metal oxide at different…