A Life in Small Scales Born in Bern in 1679, David Leclerc lived a life that moved between the quiet precision of a studio and the shifting centers of European culture. His path eventually led him to Frankfurt am Main, where he remained until his death in 1738. He worked with materials that required a steady hand and a patient eye, often focusing on the minute details of a subject's likeness. His hands were accustomed to the delicate resistance of parchment and the smooth, cool surface of ivory. There is a specific kind of focus required to work on such small surfaces. To paint on ivory or to…