The Precision of a Miniature Life Born in 1850 in Niort, France, Fernand Paillet occupied a specialized niche in the late nineteenth-century art world. He was a man of small scales and immense detail, finding his calling as a figurine artist, miniature portraitist, and jewelry designer. His training under Albert-Ernest Carrier-Belleuse provided the technical foundation necessary to master the delicate surfaces of ivory and ceramic. By the time he established his own studio in Paris, Paillet had developed a hand capable of translating human likeness into the most intimate of formats. His car…