James Tassie

He is remembered for a particular style of miniature medallion heads, portraying the profiles of the rich and famous of Britain, and for making and selling large numbers of "Tassie casts" of engraved gems for collectors.

Subsequently, he visited Dublin in search of commissions, and there became acquainted with Henry Quin, who had been experimenting, as an amateur, in imitating antique engraved gems in coloured pastes.

He engaged Tassie as an assistant, and together they perfected the discovery of an enamel, admirably adapted by its hardness and beauty of texture for the formation of gems and medallions.

He received a commission from the empress of Russia for a collection of about 15,000 examples; all the richest cabinets in Europe were thrown open to him for purposes of study and reproduction; and his copies were frequently sold by fraudulent dealers as the original gems.

This was followed in 1791 by a large catalogue, in two volumes quarto, with illustrations etched by David Allan, and descriptive text in English and French by Rudolf Erich Raspe, enumerating nearly 16,000 pieces.

[5] In addition to his impressions from antique gems, Tassie executed many large profile medallion portraits of his contemporaries, and these form the most original and definitely artistic class of his works.