BERNARD LENS THE THIRD (BRITISH 1682-1740) Portrait miniature of a young lady, circa 1720 in a blue robe trimmed with gold embroidery and white underslip Signed in gold monogram BL on the obverse Watercolour on ivory Gilt-metal frame Oval, 40 mm (1 3/4 in) high Exhibited: Comerford Collection at the Irish Architectural Archives, Dublin, 2009 Literature: The Comerford Collection: Portrait Miniatures, (privately published, Dublin, 2009) pp 7, 24 (#59) Lens was the miniature painter at the court of King George I and King George II, an instructor in miniature painting (then called limning) to prince William and princess Mary and Louise and consultant in fine arts to upper-class families. Lens established himself as a portrait miniaturist, and in 1707 became the first British artist to replace vellum, the traditional medium of miniatures, with ivory. The difficult skill of painting watercolours on ivory was invented in Venice by Rosalba Carriera around 1700 and quickly spread over Europe. The style of Lens was close to that of Carriera, although Lens conservatively employed pencil sketches and heavier paints that reduced translucency of glazes over the ivory substrate. The gold paint seen in this portrait in the monogram and lace embroidery shine brightly against the surroundings colours.