CANVASES, CARATS AND CURIOSITIES

In an age where subtlety and mystery are celebrated, the art world seems to have rediscovered the timeless allure of silhouettes—figures presented in profile, capturing both mystery and true-to-life form. From the intaglio jewelry of ancient Rome, now reimagined in modern design, to the powerful works of Kara Walker, who reinvents silhouette portraiture, this art form spans centuries.

At M.S. Rau, we’re captivated by silhouettes for their timeless elegance and understated beauty. These cherished heirlooms, beloved by past generations, have maintained a near-constant presence in fashion and design. Join us as we explore the fascinating history of silhouettes, their diverse forms and the reasons we’re continually drawn to their unique artistry.

Cameo vs. Intaglio: Defining Shadowed Beauty

Dating back to antiquity, people have used the art of carving to manipulate shadows to transform raw materials, both precious and ordinary, into miniature masterpieces. The designs may reveal intricate stories of nature, people or animals, and the heart of this craftmanship is set into two distinct techniques: cameo and intaglio. These opposing engraving methods embody a poetic manipulation of light, offering a fascinating glimpse into how ancient and modern jewelers embrace the balance of shadowed beauty.

Both cameo and intaglio refer to carvings made into gemstones collectively known as ‘glyptics.’ The key difference lies in the direction of the carving. Cameo is the method of engraving around an image to create a “positive, ”or raised, relief. On the other hand, intaglio is when the image is carved to create a" negative, “or sunken, relief.

Historically speaking, cameo has also referred to carvings where the image itself is a different, contrasting color to the background. Artisans achieved this by carving away around the desired image so that the only piece left was the image itself, whether it be the gemstone or a neutral stone set on a gemstone. Instead, intaglio engraves directly into the gemstone to create a relief image with sunken portions of the gemstone that create dimension.

Both forms of engraving, which are still practiced well into the modern age, are mainly derived from ancient Roman and Greek traditions. In ancient times, cameos and intaglios were worn as jewelry, mainly for signet rings and earrings. In these civilizations, the engravings were revered for their supposed talismanic and protective properties; thus, they were most often carved images of deities, mythological figures, animals, and important narrative scenes.

For the ruling classes, these types of engravings also served the purpose of legitimizing their reign and spreading their likeness across the empire. Side portraits of emperors and their families, copied by artisans from coins, statues or other carvings, would often borrow divine imagery to relay the rulers as god-like and powerful. Roman men of social standing also commonly wore intaglio rings in order to easily mark wax seals.

After the Roman empire fell, glyptics fell out of style until the Renaissance, when a renewed fervor for the classical world and traditions took over much of Western and Northern Europe. With the introduction of classical studies as an integral part of any aristocratic or wealthy young man's education and the popularity of ‘Grand Tours’ around Italy and Greece, cameo and intaglio returned in full force. Travelers either began collecting and preserving ancient examples of glyptics, while others commissioned ancient-looking cameos to wear as jewelry.

Take, for example, the exceptional and incredibly rare cameo pendant (above) created in the early 17th century. The cameo features the biblical scene of the Sacrifice of Isaac in the style of the Greco-Roman era. As the story goes, God challenged Abraham to sacrifice his only son, Isaac, as a sign of his faith. At the very last moment before Abraham killed his son, a messenger from God stayed in his hand; the father and son then sacrificed a ram instead. This cameo depicts that final moment in the story. The central flaming altar is flanked by Abraham and Isaac preparing to sacrifice a ram, while the messenger of God, with a lion's skin draped over his neck, stands in the left corner.

A second, smaller cameo with a Greco-Roman style side portrait is set at the top of the pendant, while a myriad of multi-colored gems, pearls and enamel adorns the 18K gold setting. A large Baroque pearl suspended from an enamel dragon finishes the design, which embodies the opulence and theatricality of jewels from the Renaissance age. One can imagine that a prince or princess wore this stunning pendant, as its artisanship would have been reserved for the highest of Renaissance society.

Miniature Portraits: Shadows and Sentiment

Just as glyptics harnessed light and shadow to captivate the eye, miniature portraits transformed these same elements into deeply personal expressions of sentiment. In an age before photography, these tiny masterpieces preserved the likenesses of loved ones with exquisite detail, capturing not just appearances but the emotional bonds that connected them to people. Often set into lockets, brooches, or rings, they became cherished heirlooms that the owner could always wear and treasure as enduring tokens of love and beloved memory of the subject.

Portrait miniatures, which began in England in France in the early Renaissance, are very small portrait paintings that developed from the illuminated manuscript tradition of miniatures in the late Medieval Era. Portrait miniatures, which were their own class and niche of artists, were first known as limning, or watercolor paintings on vellum, a type of thick paper made from prepared animal skin. As portrait miniatures grew in popularity across Europe during the late 17th and 18th centuries, enamel miniatures painted on copper or watercolors on ivory became the preferred techniques used by miniaturists.

These portraits varied in size based on the commissioner’s desires, with some as small as 40 mm x 30 mm that could fit into lockets. Much like their size, the purpose of portrait miniatures also varies. They are most well-known for being intimate tokens of love and loyalty to family members or by hopeful males in the pursuit of courtship. With the long length of travel before the advent of trains and the difficulty of distanced communication, they were often commissioned by family members before a family member’s long journey.

The impeccable portrait miniature painted by Marie Duchatel, a Dutch miniaturist, captures the beauty of Anna Maria Luisa de’ Medici (1667-1743), the last lineal descent of the famed Italian House of Medici. She is captured in a gold embroidered décolleté pale blue dress trimmed with lace and adorned with jeweled brooches and a blue cloak draped around her shoulders with her powdered hair upswept. The pale grey treatment of her skin with the small dots of lifelike peach on her cheeks focuses all the attention on her exquisite attire, embodying all of the luxury and grandeur of her legendary name.

Anna Maria Louisa de'Medici was the daughter of Cosimo III de'Medici, the Grand Duke of Tuscany who enjoyed an unprecedented 53-year-long reign. She gained considerable power and influence by marrying Johann Wilhelm II, Elector Palatine, in 1691, earning her a life of luxury in Dusseldorf. After he died in 1716, Anna Maria returned to Florence, where she set to work protecting the family legacy. Before she died, she created a will that would bequeath the vast Medici estate to the Tuscan state and ensure that the art collection formed by the Medicis over the previous three centuries remained in Florence. While she was frequently captured in portraiture, few miniature portraits of her, like this one with its intricate execution that captures her earlier in life down to the smallest of details, have survived.

Beyond intimate, cherished heirlooms of loved ones, portrait miniatures were also popular diplomatic gifts given by rulers, either to give as representations of themselves or as a memento of another person’s extraordinary actions. Around 1905, King Edward VII gave his grandson Edward VIII, the Prince of Wales, and later, the Duke of Windsor, a set of exquisite cufflinks. The cufflinks, made from 15K gold, feature hand-painted miniature portraits of Queen Alexandra on one, while King Edward VII graces another.

Even in the modern era, portrait miniatures serve a diplomatic purpose. In 2005, the United Kingdom marked the bicentenary of the Battle of Trafalgar in grand fashion. The Battle of Trafalgar was among the most decisive naval engagements ever fought. At the outset of what would be his final battle, Nelson caught sight of a Franco-Spanish force of thirty-three ships and knew the deck was stacked against Britain. Even so, Nelson deployed a completely innovative strategy. He divided his twenty-seven ships into two divisions and split the enemy fleet. By smashing the enemy flagship’s three-tiered galleries, Admiral Lord Horatio Nelson defeated the combined French and Spanish fleets, thus solidifying the British navy as ruler of the seas.

The bicentennial celebration of this iconic battle included the creation of a silver-gilt commemorative casket with a hand-painted enamel portrait of Admiral Horatio Nelson, exquisitely rendered on 18K gold by Gillie Hoyte Byrom. Turning the casket to its top reveals a compelling scene of the legendary Battle of Trafalgar painted by Commander Geoff Hunt. As one of only five of its kind ever made, this remarkable silver-gilt commemorative casket immortalizes Lord Horatio Nelson's victory at the Battle of Trafalgar in captivating form.

With the advent of photography, portrait miniatures largely fell out of style in exchange for real-life photographs of one’s loved ones. Photographs were the true likeness, not up to the whims of a miniaturist’s techniques or fancies.

Victorian Silhouettes: A Cultural Obsession

As photography revolutionized the way people preserved their likenesses, another art form surged in popularity for its simplicity and affordability: the Victorian silhouette. These shadowy profiles, created by tracing and cutting a subject’s outline, offered a budget-friendly alternative to expensive portrait photography. Their accessibility made them a cultural phenomenon, adorning homes, letters and even jewelry. While lacking the intricate detail of painted miniatures or photographs, silhouettes carried a charm of their own, blending practicality with artistry in capturing the essence of an individual.

Silhouette paintings and cut-outs existed long before the Victorian era, for flat, single-color side portraits existed as early as the ancient Egyptians. However, it was not until 17th-century Europe that drawing or painting a person’s shadow cast by sunlight or candle/lamplight became widespread. When paper became more widely available in the 18th century, freehanded cut-out portraits became popular mementos in Europe and America. The word “silhouette” for this art form was satirically derived from the name of mid-18th-century French finance minister Étienne de Silhouette, whose hobby was cutting paper shadow portraits.

Cut-out shadow portraits were sometimes made using a physiognotrace, which was invented in France in 1783-84. To use it, the subject would sit still while their side profile was outlined with a stylus connected to the device. As the stylus traced the contours of their face, the outline was transferred onto paper, ensuring an accurate and lifelike representation. Once complete, the profile could be cut out or filled in with black ink, resulting in the classic silhouette. This innovation allowed for mass production of these charming keepsakes, contributing to their widespread popularity.

In the 19th century, the creation of the daguerreotype and photography meant shadow portraits and silhouettes became a type of folk art. Artists on street corners and at fairs would offer their services as a cheaper alternative to expensive portrait photography. In a way, shadow portraits are the most democratic form of portraiture, as they allowed people who could never afford formal portraits to buy or make their own.

The obvious obsession with silhouettes is evident in their modern reinterpretations, often seen in film scenes set in the Victorian era. Their stark, shadowed forms evoke drama and nostalgia, as showcased in Nosferatu (2024), where these silhouettes adorn the wall in John Harding’s home to craft an atmosphere of eerie elegance.

Glyptic jewelry is also making a modern comeback. In 2019, LizWorks, a brand that collaborates with contemporary artists to make jewelry, worked with Cindy Sherman to present a collection of cameo earrings and necklaces inspired by the ancient tradition. Contemporary recreations come hand in hand with a renewed interest in collecting ancient and antique examples of exquisite glyptics.

If you're considering adding glyptics to your collection, here are some key factors to look for to ensure you're acquiring the finest pieces:

• Carving Quality: Seek out glyptics with smooth, flowing lines and intricate details. For intaglios, a masterful use of the gemstone’s transparency, among these other elements, will highlight the superb craftsmanship of the piece.
• Rarity: Glyptics made from very uncommon precious materials, such as agate, red beryl, black opal or tortoiseshell, with uncommon features tend to be highly valuable due to their rarity.
• Subject Matter: Glyptics depicting women, children, historical figures or narrative scenes are especially prized by collectors for their cultural and artistic significance.
• Condition: Always examine the glyptic for any cracks, chips, or wear and ensure that any paint or enamel detailing is intact and in good condition. Oftentimes, ancient glyptics are set in antique or modern settings.

By paying attention to these factors, you can build a collection that is both aesthetically rich and valuable.

Interested in more Victorian jewelry or historic styles? View our impressive antique jewelry collection today!