Exhibitions

ALMA Laboratory invites you to the exhibition Copies and Forgeries in portrait miniature. The painted portrait miniature is a distinctive pictorial movement that was born in England in the 16th century and reached the height of its popularity in Europe in the 18th and 19th centuries. However, a number of period-specific techniques were developed before it was eclipsed by the dynamic development of photography. Yet it is not easy to answer the question of whether a drawing, a photographic transfer, or a print raster lies beneath a brilliantly rendered painting – especially when no sample can be taken from a thin and precise painting on ivory for research. Today’s scientific instruments, however, can not only see beneath the surface, but can obtain surprisingly accurate information about the materials used, non-invasively, without any sampling. The exhibition thus opens up a fascinating story of the artistic development of miniatures, from masterful originals through period and later copies, leading ultimately to cheap imitations and forgeries. This is the first time that miniatures from Czech collections have been examined in this way.

The exhibition takes place from November 1, 2021 to January 14, 2022 in the Science and Art Gallery, Národní třída 3, Prague 1. Opening hours: Mon-Fri 10: 00-18: 00, free entry.