Miss Pamela Plowden we
give, had the place of honour in the miniature room of the Academy this
year. Simplicity of style is the feature of Miss Thomson's work, and
probably the reason why her miniatures are considered like those of the
great Cosway.

[Illustration: "DAFFODIL." _By E. J. Harding_.]

[Illustration: HON. MRS. BENYON. _By Edith Maas_.]

Miss Edith Maas is another lady whose miniatures are very greatly
admired for their beauty and style. Her portrait of Delia, the daughter
of the Rev. and Hon. Ed. Lyttelton, Head Master of Haileybury College,
has been exhibited in the New Gallery. The other miniatures we give are
of Mrs. Shand, wife of His Honour Judge Shand, and the Hon. Mrs.
Benyon, daughter of Lord North. The latter was exhibited in the '93
Academy.

[Illustration: LADY DUDLEY. _By Miss Kuessner._]

The number of ladies well known as clever miniature painters is quite
extraordinary, and with but few exceptions all the portraits on these
pages were painted by ladies.

Miss M. Josephine Gibson sends us two charming pictures which she calls
"Ma Belle" and "Kathleen." These are exquisite, both in conception and
execution. Mrs. Lee Hankey, who, with Miss Gibson, is on the Council of
the Society of Miniature Painters, is represented by one strong picture.
"Daffodil" is by Mrs. E. W. Andrews, also known as "E. J. Harding." All
these ladies have miniatures in this year's Academy.

From the studios of Mr. Esme Collings, of Bond Street, comes the
charming miniature of two girls' heads, originally painted in black and
white. This gentleman has published a very dainty little brochure on
"The Revival of Miniature Art," which gives some romantic stories about
miniatures and their painters.

One tells how the Comte de Guiche, being in love with a daughter of
Charles I., wore her portrait, mounted on a snuff box, over his heart,
and owed his life to this circumstance, for the box turned aside a
bullet which struck him in battle--a hint which all soldiers should
take. This box is now in the possession of the Baroness Burdett-Coutts.

Other stories tell of Richard Gibson and Miss Biffin, both gifted
miniaturists. But the first was a dwarf, 3 feet 10 inches high, who
married another dwarf of his own height who lived till she was
ninety-seven, and became the mother of nine children. As for Miss
Biffin, she was limbless, but managed her paint-brush and pencil with
her mouth.

Of course there are miniatures _and_