Up until the advent of photography, the only way to commit your likeness for posterity was to commission a portrait.
The trend for miniatures reached a peak in the Georgian period when many artists painted them to fund larger scale works. The Comerford Collection, a collection of 300 portrait miniatures, is currently on display at the Irish Architectural Archive and includes works from the 16th-19th centuries. It's centred on the work of John Comerford, who had a prosperous career as a miniaturist. Until August 21st at 45 Merrion Square, Dublin 2.