The collection of portrait miniatures in the Fondation Custodia was begun by Frits Lugt, the founder of the institution, and has been augmented by successive directors. Today it numbers more than 100 portraits dating from the sixteenth to the early nineteenth century. The diversity of the collection helps to create an overview of the history and development of the genre. Although the work of English, French, Dutch and Flemish artists predominates, miniaturists from Germany, Italy, Denmark and Switzerland are also represented.
The collection of portrait miniatures in the Fondation Custodia was begun by Frits Lugt, the founder of the institution, and has been augmented by successive directors. Today it numbers more than 100 portraits dating from the sixteenth to the early nineteenth century. The diversity of the collection helps to create an overview of the history and development of the genre. Although the work of English, French, Dutch and Flemish artists predominates, miniaturists from Germany, Italy, Denmark and Switzerland are also represented.