Miniature portrait of an unidentified man by Nicholas Hillier, 1572

From diplomatic gifts to tokens of love, between the sixteenth to the nineteenth centuries miniatures were popular. They were small portraits which could be held in the hand or put in lockets and could reflect an intimate relationship between owner and sitter.

Lecturer Cindy Polemis Cindy Polemis is an art historian and an independent lecturer. She has a B.A in History from Oxford University  and as a mature student she graduated from Birkbeck College, London University with a B.A  and then M.A.  in History of Art. She spent many years as a radio producer and presenter for BBC World Service. Since 2016 she has been an official art guide at Tate Modern and Tate Britain and has lectured independently. She is an accredited lecturer for The Arts Society and a regular lecturer for Art Historical London and The Royal Overseas League.