Through a train of circumstances unneces-
sary to relate, the miniature of Mrs. Bleecker
passed into the hands of Mr. Edward Carey,
of Philadelphia, who had an engraving of it
made for " The Gift" of 1843, where it appeared
under the title of " Egeria." A miniature of
Alexander Bleecker was painted by Malbone
as a companion to that of his wife. These
miniatures, like most of Malbone's, are con-
siderably larger than those of an earlier time,
yet so graceful was his composition and so
exquisite his coloring, that the portrait lost
none of its delicacy through this increase in
dimensions, while it gained in importance as
165



HEIRLOOMS IN MINIATURES

a record of the past. This departure with
regard to the size of the miniature was fol-
lowed by Charles Eraser and other artists of
the same period. Eraser, who knew Edward
Malbone well, said of him :

" His rapid progress convinced him that he
had talents, and gave alacrity to his endeavors.
Prospects of fame began to open upon his
mind, and that propensity, which had hitherto
been nourished by the mere force of nature,
derived additional vigour from the hopes which
increasing reputation and wealth inspired."

It was doubtless this ambition and his de-
vouring passion for work that preyed upon
the naturally delicate constitution of Malbone.
His death, in 1807, at the age of thirty-two,
was an irreparable loss to American art, al-
though "the wonder grows" that Edward
Malbone was able to accomplish so much
admirable work during the few years in which
he practised a profession which he so truly
honored.
