FOR YOUR EYES ONLY

FOR YOUR EYES ONLY. Miniatures of Romanticism 

06.02.2026 - 07.06.2026 | Special exhibition | Exhibition catalogue | Language German

The exhibition FOR YOUR EYES ONLY. Miniatures of Romanticism is the first comprehensive exhibition dedicated to the multifaceted art of miniature painting in Hamburg from its heyday around 1800 to the 1840s, when it was replaced by the early techniques of photography. The small format of the portrait miniature - usually around 6 to 10 cm - as well as the artistic production with watercolour and gouache paints on wafer-thin ivory plates, sometimes backed with silver foil, still fascinates today. A total of over 250 objects are on display. 

The starting point for the show is portrait miniatures from the Kunsthalle's collection, which were conserved and analysed using art technology in 2023-2024: Around 60 miniatures will be on display for the first time, together with around 200 loans from European museums and private collections, some of which are also on display for the first time. 

The small portraits in frames, brooches or cases were among the most personal and intimate portraits that people had painted of themselves. They were intended for just a few more eyes, could be worn - often directly on the heart - and viewed at any time. The portraits were intended to keep memories alive after a long separation or to provide comfort after the loss of a loved one.

Portrait miniatures were widespread in Europe around 1800. They were not only produced for the nobility, but were also increasingly popular with the aspiring bourgeoisie - including in Hamburg, which experienced an economic boom at the end of the 18th century that also influenced artistic creation: private collections emerged, the Kunstverein was founded, exhibitions, a liberal auction law and new techniques such as the daguerreotype and lithography contributed to Hamburg developing into an important art centre. Internationally renowned miniaturists such as Domenico Bossi and Pierre-Louis Bouvier lived and worked for some time in the Hanseatic city, which itself produced outstanding artists such as Heinrich Jacob Aldenrath, Friedrich Carl Gröger and Ferdinand and Caroline Stelzner.

Curator Sabine Zorn | Guest curator Dr Bernd Pappe

Michael Imhof Verlag | hardcover edition | 190 illustrations | 160 pages | dimensions (L/W) 28/21 cm