Eye Miniature 1800 - 1829

The anonymous artist created a striking miniature of an eye set in a silver ring, dating from 1800 to 1829. The work, now housed at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, depicts a single eye in exquisite detail, likely intended as a memento mori, a reminder of mortality. This intimate object serves as a reminder of the enduring fascination with the human gaze and its symbolic power in art. The miniature’s small scale further emphasizes its personal nature and its potential for intimate contemplation.