German Miniature of Soldier with Fallen Soldier

This charming German miniature painting depicts a fallen hero on a battlefield, overlooked by a fellow soldier gazing at the viewer forlornly. A tragic and somber scene of wartime and grief, the artist has taken painstaking care in rendering the pitiful facial expression of the injured survivor and the dark landscape that engulfs him.

The art of the miniature spans over 400 years, finding popularity in the early 16th century when they first appeared in European courts. This miniature originates from a rare and remarkable collection of 12 German miniature paintings. These diminutive oil on copper masterpieces exhibit a level of intricacy few artists could achieve on such a small scale. The collection includes portraits, landscapes and genre scenes, most likely executed by several artists of the German School in the early 19th century. Miniatures such as this were commissioned by important, wealthy patrons and often used as mementos of important life events. In the case of portraits, they served as a means to record an individual's likeness prior to the invention of photography in the 1840s. To find such a varied collection of this incredible quality is exceptional.

Circa 1820-30

Miniature: 3 3/8" diameter
Frame: 6 5/8" high x 6 5/8" wide x 1" deep