Conservation: portrait miniatures


The V&A is home to the national collection of portrait miniatures – tiny paintings from the 16th century which offer a great insight into how people looked and dressed. With issues such as paint flaking and mould growth, these delicate objects must be cared for carefully. Find out how we investigate and analyse the miniatures in order to understand more about what they were made of, when they were made, and how to conserve them.

Cite this page as: Victoria and Albert Museum, London, "Conservation: portrait miniatures," in Smarthistory, January 27, 2021, accessed March 19, 2024, https://smarthistory.org/conservation-portrait-miniatures-2/.