The eye miniature was a mysterious art form, popular for a brief moment in the late 1700s and early 1800s among well-to-do families. These “lover’s eyes”—a term coined by New York–based antique collector Edith Weber—are now archaic reminders of aristocratic England, mentioned fleetingly in old diaries and Charles Dickens’s 1846 novel Dombey and Son. From this month until June, the Birmingham Museum of Art will display 98 miniatures, all graciously donated from the private collection of David and Nan Skier. Below, highlights from the show and a history of the eyes’ 15 minutes of fame.
