Johannes Landman painted François Boucher’s 1756 Portrait of the Marquise de Pompadour in fine-scale using 000 brushes made from the underbelly hairs of a Russian marten.  When recreating a historic painting, Landman often makes small changes. The fine-scale differs from the original (at the Alte Pinakoth in Germany) in its exuberant palette and the Madame’s expression.

Exhibited in the French Gallery.

Johannes Landman is primarily known for his miniature paintings, but his artistic talent also extends to fine wood-working. The Flemish single-action harpsichord is intricately rendered in the 17th century style using Costello and European boxwood and African Ambuya.  The painting beneath the instrument’s lid depicts a musical contest between Apollo and Marsyas.  Although sound cannot be miniaturized, the harpsichord is fully functional, and Landman provided a tuning instrument. 

Exhibited in Fine-Scale Miniatures.

William R. Robertson labored nine years on the research and construction of a pair of miniature houses dubbed Twin Manors (the other is in a private collection). The architecture is an assemblage of elements modeled after real homes from Maine to Virginia. Authentic materials were used including 18th century wood and brick. Museum co-founder Barbara Marshall selected the furniture and household items for Twin Manors, which includes works by Robertson and many other artists.

Exhibited in Fine-Scale Miniatures.

William R. Robertson was given special permission by The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City to measure, photograph, and even partially disassemble a full-scale 18th century microscope in their collection. This allowed him to create this fine-scale version in stunning detail. The pure gold used to make the microscope was sourced from Canadian Maple Leaf coins.  Robertson individually machined each of the 125 parts, and true to the original, the barrel is covered in shagreen (sharkskin).  The microscope is fully functional, complete with lenses and slides. The top finial unscrews to reveal the eyepiece. 

Exhibited in the Masterpiece Gallery.

The Architect’s Classroom Circa 1900 is a composite of several turn-of-the-century classrooms and the product of William R. Robertson’s thorough research. Every detail has been attended to from the Grinnell-patented sprinkler heads to the functioning chain-operated skylight shade.  A blueprint-making machine borrows light from the multi-pane window. The stools raise and lower, the drafting tables are adjustable, and the tool chests are full of protractors, compasses, French curves, and squares. The wire wastebaskets are each constructed with 1,020 soldiered points and are full of miniscule trash.

Exhibited in the Miniature Maze.

Harry Smith spent nearly four years recreating Louis XV’s study in the Palace of Versailles as a special commission for T/m.  The parquet wood floor is composed of 2200 individual pieces of wood, and the room is lit with three dozen electric candles that flicker to mimic real candlelight.  Of the 3,000 gilded carvings in the room, no two are alike. 

Exhibited in the French Gallery.

Frank Matter (1891-1979) was engaged by collector Claire Bagley Hammons (1879-1975) to create a fully-furnished miniature house in 1:48 scale. The house was a deeply personal project for Mrs. Hammons, containing replicas of rugs from her home as well as tiny paintings of her New England ancestors.  

Matter commissioned other artists to assist with the furnishings.  Esther Forbes Harding stitched the forty-count needlepoint rugs.  Jeweler Anchor Jenson made the Paul Revere silver tea set, which includes a fluted and engraved teapot with a hollow spout.  

Hammons requested a working case clock, so Matter commandeered a watch movement from a Jaeger-Le Coultre wrist watch to provide the clockwork. It is still the smallest mechanical watch movement in the world. 

Exhibited in Fine-Scale Miniatures.

Made of English oak and veneered burled walnut, the secretary is adorned with in-laid ebony and holly starbursts. The piece is so finely constructed that the drawers are dove-tailed, the steel lock functions, and the interior is festooned with ivory. There are nineteen secret compartments within the cabinet, one of which contains two hand-painted miniature postcards.  This is one of six known fine-scale secretaries made by Frank Early.  One resides in Queen Mary’s Dolls’ House and another in the Thorne Rooms at the Art Institute of Chicago. 

Exhibited in the Masterpiece Gallery.

Arms raised in joyful celebration, Lloyd McCaffrey’s 1:24 scale skeleton explores the complexities and fragilities of human architecture. The delicate ribcage was hollowed from a solid piece of wood, and the spine and pelvis are connected by mortise and tenon joints. Other joints are pegged with bamboo, allowing for movement. McCaffery used scalpels, dental burs, and his own hand-made carving tools. 

Exhibited in the Masterpiece Gallery.

Lee-Ann Chellis Wessel created the painting on wood panel using the traditional method of mixing egg yolk with pigment.  It is a replica of Domenico Ghirlandaio’s 1488 portrait of Giovanna, a young mother from a noble family. The original painting is in the Thyssen-Bornemisza National Museum in Madrid.

Exhibited in the Miniature Maze.

Lee-Ann Chellis Wessel is a fine-scale ceramicist who uses slip casting and wheel turning to make these fragile objects. “Liqirizia” is the Italian word for liquorice, and the pitcher is derived from 16th century Italian Duruta porcelain. 

Exhibited in Fine-Scale Miniatures.

Linda La Roche spent 14 years recreating Émile Gallé’s full-sized Art Nouveau planter, “Flora Marina, Flora Exotica,” in 1:12 scale as a special commission for T/m.  The vessel was hollowed and shaped in plum wood and features complicated marquetry on the curved side surfaces depicting nudes, exotic plants, and swans. 

Exhibited in the Masterpiece Gallery.

Often credited as the first professional miniature maker in the United States, Eric Pearson (1891-1981) is best known for his early American miniature furniture. Pearson contributed work to both the Thorne Rooms and Colleen Moore’s Fairy Castle. Although Pearson specialized in furniture, he also created this tiny pair of single barrel flintlock dueling pistols.  The set is contained in a velvet-lined presentation case and includes a ramrod and single bullet mold.  The pistol mechanisms are functional although they have never been used in a miniature duel. 

Exhibited in Fine-Scale Miniatures. 

Linda La Roche and James Hastrich measured and studied the unique construction of a Hadley Chest in Historic Deerfield’s collection. They collaborated on the creation of the fine-scale version—Hastrich constructed the chest and La Roche added the decorative carving on the face.  Hastrich finished the piece by painting and aging it.  The original belonged to Hepzibah Dickinson (1696-1791) and bears her initials.

Exhibited in Fine-Scale Miniatures.

Located in Chicago, the William Martin House was designed by Frank Lloyd Wright just after the turn of the 20th century. The creation of the breakfast room from this house was the first professional fine-scale project undertaken by Allison Ashby, a set designer, and Steve Jedd, a cabinetmaker. 

Exhibited in the Miniature Maze.

Four artists working in four separate countries collaborated on the fine-scale replica of the Studiolo Gubbio, a 15th century Italian room that now resides in The Metropolitan Museum of Art.  Barry Hipwell (1929-2008) made the complicated marquetry walls, which reflect the original patron’s interest in art and science. Ursula Dyrbye-Skovsted carved the polychrome ceiling, and Nic Stowe made the tiled floor. Johannes Landman created the quintet of liberal arts-themed paintings. 

Exhibited in Fine-Scale Miniatures.

The Art Deco Jewelry store was inspired by the ocean liner Normandy, Nieman Marcus in Chicago, and the Cincinnati Netherland Plaza hotel, as well as the metal work of Edgar Brandt and the 1925 Paris Exposition des Arts Décoratifs.  Architectural artists Mulvany and Rogers made the room setting as a special commission for T/m. The paneled walls are rosewood, and six different types of faux marble are represented in the room. The massive chandelier is festooned with 15,800 beads, courtesy of Robert Ward. Lori-Ann Potts created the jewelry with precious and semi-precious stones.  Maria José Santos made three figures for the room: a sales clerk, an elegant lady, and her stoic companion.

Exhibited in the Miniature Maze.

On the 18th-centiry tea table, a vessel like this would have provided a hot water source to brew and dilute tea. The Georgian teakettle with ivory handle and bird’s-head spout sits on a fitted lampstand, the source of heat. Obadiah Fisher (1941-2005), who specialized in recreating 18th-century silver in miniature, made this set in 18-karat gold using the lost wax casting method. The teakettle and spout are hollow, the lid is removable, and it can be attached to the stand using four thin chains.

Exhibited in Fine-Scale Miniatures.

Pete Acquisto, a former jewelry maker, created this limited edition Wine Fountain after a full-scale vessel by English silversmith James Ward in 1703. The original is in the collection of Colonial Williamsburg.  

Exhibited in Fine-Scale Miniatures.

The elaborately-carved Tudor Bedroom (c. 1580) was created especially for T/m. Warner passed away before he finished the room, but he left detailed instructions for its completion with his friend and fellow artist William R. Robertson.  Warner’s vision of realistic perfection included a building façade that is visible beyond the window. 

Exhibited in the Miniature Maze.

Paul Runyon built this the block and shell secretary after studying and measuring John Goddard’s 18th century original at The Metropolitan Museum of Art.  It took Runyon almost a year to construct the desk under extreme magnification—the pigeon–hole partitions are less than .028 of an inch thick. The drawers are delicately dovetailed, and all of the compartments and locks are operational.

Exhibited in the Masterpiece Gallery.