No female portrait artists had the notoriety or esteemed clientèle that Amalia Kussner did. While photography was on the rise, miniatures had a feeling and soul to them that photos could not duplicate. Amalia’s portraits provided a grandeur that presented Gilded Age elite as American royalty. Her subjects included reigning social queen Mrs. Caroline Astor, Mrs. John Jacob Astor, Consuelo Vanderbilt, Mamie Fish, “dollar heiress” Minnie Paget, England’s Edward VII, Russia’s Czar Nicholas II and Alexandra, and diamond magnate Cecil Rhodes. From the mid-1890s to early 1910, having a Kussner miniature was just as important an accessory as owning fine jewelry or a mansion in Newport. Amalia’s style was also provocative for the late Victorian period. Her subjects were draped in off-the-shoulder satin or tulle, with their hair loosely pinned around their heads and tendrils framing their faces. She kept the women’s best features but gave them an almost mythical appearance, akin to the fairy queen Titania in A Midsummer Night’s Dream. Learn the riveting story of how one woman rose from simple beginnings to become one of the most sought-after miniaturists of the Gilded Age. Led by Kathleen Langone, historical researcher, host of the podcast, "People Hidden In History," and author of the forthcoming book, Miniature Painter Revealed: Amalia Kussner’s Gilded Age Pursuit of Fame and Fortune.

RECORDING NOTE: This program will be recorded. All registrants will receive the recording via email within 48 hours of the program.

Please register

Thank you to the Tewksbury Public Library for sharing this program!