The Starr collection is unique for including a signed and dated miniature from nearly every year of John Smart’s (1741–1811) career, and this fourth volume features those miniatures, as well as one by his son, John Smart Junior (1777–1809). Highlights include Portrait of a Member of the Frankland Family, Probably Henry Cromwell Frankland, 1760, a preparatory drawing and portrait miniature of Alexander James Dallas, Portrait of Muhammad Ali Khan Wallajah, Nawab of Arcot and the Carnatic, 1788, Portrait of John Holland, Governor of Madras, 1806, and Portrait of Mr. Blackburne, February 1811. Accompanying this outstanding collection are essays about Smart’s early works in London, the Smart family military portraits, his time in India, and his return to London. This volume also contains groundbreaking research and technical analysis on the unique phenomenon of pink hair in Smart’s miniatures. Also included are biographies for all artists in the Nelson-Atkins collection, as well as a comprehensive glossary of terms used throughout the four volumes.
The other four volumes are:
Volume 1: Foreword, Preface, Notes to the Reader, Continental, American, Eye Miniatures, Decorative
Volume 3: British part 2: Georgian (1714–1837; artists’ last names F–Z)
Supplement: Starr Miniatures in Other Collections
For a full list of the contents of each volume, see the contents page. The catalogue will be published every six months beginning in early 2024, with object entries, introductory essays, and biographies being added in their associated volume.
doi: 10.37764/8322.4