Portrait of John Churchill, 1st Duke of Marlborough
1715
unspecified
From the collection of Cleveland Museum of Art
1715
unspecified
From the collection of Cleveland Museum of Art
This tiny portrait shows a man in a red coat with gold trim, his face calm and confident. The colors are bright—almost glowing—like stained glass. It’s not painted on paper or canvas. Instead, Zincke used enamel, a glass-like material that’s melted onto metal. This made the portrait tough enough to last centuries without fading. The process was slow and tricky, with each color layer fired in a kiln. If you like how this looks, check out other works in the technique: impasto.
