September - New Exhibition in Germany

Tansey Collection

One of the greatest private collections of miniature portraits in the world is the Tansey Collection at the Bomann Museum, Schlossplatz 7, D 29221 Celle, Germany.

Several excellent catalogues written by Bernd Pappe and Juliane Schmieglitz-Otten, with photographs by Birgitt Schmedding to support this and previous exhibitions have been published.

The earlier catalogues illustrate many of the miniatures in the Tansey collection and are listed in my Bibliography.

The link to the main Tansey Collection is at www.miniaturen-tansey.de where, at the top right of the Tansey home page, there is an option for an English version.

Now, a new exhibition is opening in September 2008, see Miniaturen des Rokoko

The Exhibtion introduction reads as follows:

"Starting at the Bomann Museum from 7 September, 2008 is an exhibition titled "Rococo Miniatures from the Tansey Collection".

Rococo miniatures are an extremely fascinating art. The exhibition presents European-wide examples from probably the most important private miniature collection and includes 177 works from the Tansey Collection.
The Rococo period was an elegant time in which beauty and delicacy were to the fore. The individual miniatures show representations of beautiful ideals, as well as depicting precious dresses and theatrical scenes. Some portraits contain a hidden message for the viewer.

The sitters in the miniatures, some coquettish and some flirtatious, are revealed with techniques of masks and veils. Ladies reveal themselves in the midst of of material or dreamed of luxury, or else flee to an imaginary world in which they disguise themselves as shepherdesses, musicians, or as goddesses.

Some of the sitters represent members of royal families. Thus is there is a fascinating panorama of people, who were affected in greater or lesser ways by the late 18C history of Europe. In the miniatures, the Rococo period becomes alive. It is on the one hand the world in which the sitters actually lived, on the other hand however - and primarily - an ideal world, which corresponded to their concepts of desire. The period was painted by the artists with a sense for form which is not to be found in later times.

Now visitors are invited to cast their eyes over these delightful masterpieces."

Thus anyone who is interested in miniature portraits and likely to be in Germany after 7 September should try and get to see the exhibition.