Portrait of General Sir Charles Grey, later 1st Earl Grey
1794
unspecified
From the collection of Cleveland Museum of Art
1794
unspecified
From the collection of Cleveland Museum of Art
This is a small, shiny portrait of a British general in a red coat and white wig. The colors are bright and sharp, like a freshly printed photo. The artist painted it on enamel—not canvas. Enamel is glass fused to metal, so it never fades or cracks. That’s why this tiny picture still looks new after 200 years. It was meant to copy famous paintings in a durable, glowing form. For more on how this works, look up the technique: impasto.
