Jeremiah Meyer stands as a significant figure in the landscape of eighteenth-century British art. Born in Germany but flourishing in England, Meyer became one of the most respected and influential miniature painters of his era. His technical skill, particularly in enamel and later watercolour on ivory, combined with prestigious royal appointments and a foundational role in the Royal Academy of Arts, cemented his legacy. This exploration delves into the life, work, and impact of an artist who masterfully navigated the transition between artistic mediums and played a key role in the professionalization of art in Britain.
From Tübingen to London: Early Life and Artistic Formation
Jeremiah Meyer entered the world in 1735 in Tübingen, a university town in the Duchy of Württemberg, Germany. His artistic inclinations were perhaps inherited, as his father served as a portrait painter to the ducal court. Recognizing young Jeremiah's potential, his father made a pivotal decision for his son's future, sending him to England in 1749 at the age of fourteen. This move placed the aspiring artist at the heart of a burgeoning artistic centre, London.
In London, Meyer sought formal training to hone his skills. He enrolled at the St Martin's Lane Academy, an important precursor to the Royal Academy, known for its less formal but highly influential drawing classes frequented by many leading artists of the day. Crucially, Meyer also undertook specialized training in the demanding technique of enamel painting. His master was Christian Friedrich Zincke (1683/4–1767), a fellow German expatriate who was, at that time, the preeminent enamel miniaturist in England. Studying under Zincke provided Meyer with a strong foundation in this intricate and durable medium.
Establishing a Career: Enamel, Ivory, and Early Recognition
Meyer initially followed in his master's footsteps, focusing on enamel miniatures. This technique involved painting with vitreous enamels onto a metal (usually copper) base, which was then fired at high temperatures to fuse the colours into a hard, glossy surface. It required immense precision and control. Meyer quickly demonstrated his proficiency, producing finely detailed and beautifully finished enamel portraits that attracted attention.
However, Meyer did not confine himself solely to enamel. He began experimenting with and increasingly adopted the technique of painting portrait miniatures in watercolour on ivory. This medium, which was gaining popularity, offered a different aesthetic – a potential for greater subtlety, luminosity, and a more painterly effect, leveraging the translucent quality of the thin ivory wafers. This adaptability showcased Meyer's willingness to evolve his practice with changing tastes and technical possibilities.
His growing reputation was reflected in his participation in public exhibitions. From 1760 to 1767, Meyer regularly showed his work at the Society of Artists, a key venue for artists before the founding of the Royal Academy. A significant early triumph came in 1761 when he was awarded a gold medal by the Society for a compelling profile portrait miniature of the newly ascended King George III. This award not only recognized his talent but also brought him to royal notice. A year later, in 1762, Meyer solidified his commitment to his adopted country by becoming a naturalized British citizen.
Royal Appointments and the Founding of the Royal Academy
The year 1764 marked a watershed moment in Jeremiah Meyer's career, elevating him to the highest echelons of artistic society. He received two prestigious royal appointments simultaneously. Queen Charlotte, consort of George III, appointed him as her official Miniature Painter. Concurrently, King George III appointed him as his Painter in Enamel. These roles were not merely honorific; they provided a steady stream of commissions, unparalleled access to the royal family, and immense prestige, significantly boosting his standing among patrons and fellow artists.
Meyer's influence extended beyond his personal practice. He was deeply involved in the movement to establish a formal, state-sponsored institution for the arts in Britain. When the Royal Academy of Arts was founded in London under the patronage of George III in 1768, Jeremiah Meyer was named one of its founding members. This placed him alongside luminaries such as Sir Joshua Reynolds (its first President), Thomas Gainsborough, and fellow female founders Angelica Kauffman and Mary Moser. Being a founder member underscored his status and commitment to raising the profile and standards of the arts in Britain.
From the Royal Academy's inception in 1769 until 1783, Meyer was a regular exhibitor at its annual exhibitions. He showcased a range of his works, including portrait miniatures, enamels, and occasionally watercolours, demonstrating his versatility and continued engagement with the premier artistic institution he helped create. His involvement contributed significantly to the early life and success of the Academy.
Artistic Style and Technique: Mastery in Miniature
Jeremiah Meyer's artistic output is characterized by technical brilliance and a refined aesthetic sensibility, evident in both his enamel work and his celebrated ivory miniatures. His training under Zincke provided a superb grounding in the precise art of enamel painting. Meyer's enamels are noted for their fine detail, smooth, lustrous surfaces, and often soft, harmonious colour palettes. While Zincke's style could sometimes appear a little stiff, Meyer often imbued his enamel portraits with a greater sense of life and personality. The durability of enamel made it suitable for lockets and snuffbox lids, ensuring the longevity of the image.
Despite his skill in enamel, Meyer's most significant contribution arguably lies in his mastery and development of the watercolour-on-ivory miniature. He was a leading figure in popularizing this technique, which would dominate miniature painting for the next century. Working on thin, translucent sheets of ivory, artists like Meyer used fine brushes to apply watercolour pigments, often employing techniques like stippling (dots) and hatching (lines) to build up form and tone. The ivory base lent a unique luminosity to the sitters' complexions.
Meyer excelled in this medium. His ivory miniatures are praised for their delicate modelling, subtle colour transitions, and insightful characterization. He moved beyond simple likeness to capture the personality and presence of his subjects. His style was more painterly and less linear than some contemporaries, demonstrating a sophisticated understanding of light and form within the demanding constraints of the miniature format. This technical and artistic prowess made him a leader in the field during the second half of the eighteenth century.
Representative Works and Royal Subjects
While Meyer painted numerous members of the aristocracy and gentry, his royal appointments naturally led to many commissions from the King and Queen. His 1761 gold-medal-winning profile portrait of George III is a key early work that cemented his reputation. Throughout his career, he produced multiple likenesses of both George III and Queen Charlotte, in enamel and on ivory. These royal portraits were not only important commissions in themselves but also served as models for other representations, including potentially influencing images on coinage.
His portraits captured the royal couple with dignity and a degree of intimacy appropriate to the miniature format. Examples of his royal portraits can be found today in significant collections, including the Royal Collection Trust in the UK. Beyond the primary royal couple, he likely painted other members of the extended royal family and figures within the court circle. His consistent quality and ability to render pleasing yet accurate likenesses ensured his services remained in high demand among the elite. One notable portrait, identified as George IV (though potentially depicting him as Prince of Wales given Meyer's death date), is held in the collection of the Nationalmuseum, Sweden (NMB 2706), showcasing his international reach.
The London Art World: Contemporaries and Connections
Jeremiah Meyer operated within a vibrant and competitive London art world. The eighteenth century saw a dramatic increase in the number of professional artists and a growing market for art, particularly portraiture. Meyer was contemporary with many significant figures. In the broader field of painting, giants like Sir Joshua Reynolds and Thomas Gainsborough dominated, while portraitists like George Romney also enjoyed great success. The Royal Academy brought Meyer into regular contact with these figures, as well as other founders like the history painter Angelica Kauffman and the flower painter Mary Moser.
Within the specialized field of miniature painting, Meyer was a leading name among a generation of highly talented practitioners. His contemporaries and, in a sense, competitors for commissions included Richard Cosway (1742-1821), known for his flamboyant style and fashionable clientele; John Smart (c. 1741-1811), renowned for his precise, detailed style, who spent a significant period working in India; Ozias Humphry (1742-1810), another highly regarded miniaturist who also travelled to India and later suffered from failing eyesight; and Richard Crosse (1742-1810), a deaf-mute artist known for his delicate and distinctive style.
Other notable miniaturists active during Meyer's time included George Engleheart (1750-1829), Samuel Cotes (1734-1818), Andrew Plimer (c. 1763-1837) and his brother Nathaniel Plimer (1757-1822), and Thomas Hazlehurst (fl. 1760-1818). This concentration of talent made London the undisputed centre for miniature painting in Europe. Meyer's association with figures like Cosway, Smart, and Hazlehurst is also noted in the context of artists who depicted members of Jane Austen's circle, highlighting the interconnectedness of artistic and social networks. Meyer also maintained friendships outside the immediate art circle, such as his connection with the artist and architectural writer Joshua Kirby (1716-1774) when both resided in Kew.
Relationships and Influence: Teacher and Leader
Meyer's position in the art world was not just one of competition but also of influence and mentorship. A significant relationship was that with Richard Crosse. Crosse is documented as having been a pupil of Meyer. He absorbed aspects of Meyer's style while developing his own unique approach, becoming one of the most prolific and successful miniaturists of the period. This teacher-student connection demonstrates Meyer's role in transmitting skills and shaping the next generation of artists.
While direct evidence of collaboration with figures like Cosway or Smart is scarce, their shared membership in the Royal Academy and participation in the same market implies a degree of professional interaction and mutual awareness. Meyer's technical innovations, particularly in refining the painterly possibilities of watercolour on ivory, undoubtedly influenced his contemporaries. He helped elevate the status of the miniature from a craft associated primarily with jewellers to a respected branch of fine art portraiture, practiced by leading members of the Royal Academy.
His royal appointments further solidified his influence. Being the favoured miniaturist of the King and Queen set a standard and likely influenced the tastes of other patrons. His success demonstrated that an artist of foreign birth could achieve the highest levels of recognition and patronage in Britain, contributing to the increasingly cosmopolitan nature of the London art scene.
Later Years and Enduring Legacy
Jeremiah Meyer remained active as an artist throughout the 1770s and into the 1780s, continuing to exhibit at the Royal Academy until 1783. He maintained his royal connections and his reputation as a master of the miniature portrait. He passed away in 1789 in Kew, near London, leaving behind a significant body of work and a lasting impact on British art.
His legacy is multi-faceted. As a founding member of the Royal Academy, he played a crucial role in establishing the institutional framework for the arts in Britain. As Painter in Enamel to the King and Miniature Painter to the Queen, he represented the pinnacle of royal artistic patronage in his field. Artistically, he was a pivotal figure in the transition from enamel to ivory as the dominant medium for miniatures, and he significantly advanced the technique and artistry of watercolour on ivory painting.
Meyer's painterly approach, his ability to capture character, and his technical finesse set a high standard. He influenced pupils like Richard Crosse and contributed to the climate that produced the 'golden age' of the British portrait miniature. He successfully bridged the gap between the earlier generation of enamelists like Zincke and the later masters of the ivory miniature, securing his place as one of the most important figures in the history of this intimate and demanding art form.
Conclusion
Jeremiah Meyer's journey from Tübingen to the heart of the British establishment is a testament to his exceptional talent and dedication. He mastered the intricate art of enamel painting before becoming a leading innovator in the newly fashionable medium of watercolour on ivory. His skillful portraits earned him the highest patronage in the land, serving King George III and Queen Charlotte. Beyond his personal success, his role as a founding member of the Royal Academy of Arts highlights his commitment to the broader artistic community. Meyer's work exemplifies the elegance and refinement of eighteenth-century portraiture, and his influence on the development of the British miniature ensures his enduring importance in the annals of art history.
