The Cleveland Museum of Art

Collection Online as of May 13, 2024

Eye

Eye

1900s
watercolor on ivory set in brooch
Framed: 1.5 cm (9/16 in.); Diameter: 1 cm (3/8 in.)
Gift of Mr. and Mrs. John W. Starr 1961.327
Location: not on view

Description

Eye miniatures were popular in Europe between 1790 and 1830. Only in a few extraordinary cases do we know whose eyes were painted. Their limited scope makes it almost impossible to identify the artist, though we know that many famous miniaturists painted eye portraits including John Smart, Richard Cosway, and George Engleheart. Because the artist and the sitter could be known only to the person who commissioned or received the object, these eyes are distinguished from miniatures and portraits for their private significance and mystery. There are six eye miniatures in the Cleveland Museum of Art's collection. In 2000, three of the CMA's eye miniatures appeared in an exhibition on Alfred Hitchcock and art, highlighting their eerie fascination for modern viewers and their relationship to Surrealism and issues of surveillance.
  • 1951-1961
    Mr. and Mrs. John W. Starr, Kansas City, MO, gifted to the Cleveland Museum of Art
    1961-
    The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH
  • Hitchcock and Art: Fatal Coincidences. MontrĂ©al Museum of Fine Arts, Montreal, Quebec, Canada (organizer) (November 16, 2000-March 18, 2001); Centre national d'art et de culture Georges Pompidou, Paris cedex O4, France (June 6-September 24, 2001).
    Montreal, Quebec: The Montreal Museum of Fine Arts (11/16/00 - 4/16/01); Paris: Centre Georges Pompidou (6/6/01 - 9/30/01) "Hitchcock and Art: Fatal Coincidences" repr. p. 212 (left).
    Intimate Images: Portrait Miniatures from Europe and America. The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (organizer) (March 26-October 17, 1993).
    Year in Review - 1962. The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (organizer) (October 24-November 25, 1962).
    Water Color. The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (organizer) (June 6-August 27, 1962).
  • {{cite web|title=Eye|url=false|author=|year=1900s|access-date=13 May 2024|publisher=Cleveland Museum of Art}}

Source URL:

https://www.clevelandart.org/art/1961.327