drawing
- Museum number
- T,15.18
- Description
-
A queen and her son; in architectural setting
Pen and ink over graphite, on two slips of vellum
- Production date
- 1547-1619
- Dimensions
-
Height: 127 millimetres
-
Width: 89 millimetres
- $Inscriptions
-
- Curator's comments
- Text from Stainton & White 1987:
The costume of the queen, which can be dated 1610-15, suggests that the most likely sitters are Elizabeth, Queen of Bohemia, and her infant son, Frederick Henry, who was born in 1614. Whether the sarcophagus is that of Henry, Prince of Wales, who died in 1613, is more open to speculation.
The attribution of this drawing to Hilliard is based on the apparently contemporary inscription of the artist's initials. In view of the lack of drawings known to date from so late in the artist's life, it is difficult to assign it to him firmly, although the style is not inconsistent with his work. The precise outlines and dry manner of hatching suggest that it was done in preparation for an engraving, although no such print is known. The portrait type is very close to the double portrait of Elizabeth with her husband, Frederick, published in 1613 on the occasion of their marriage and engraved by Ronald Elstrack, probably after Hilliard (A. M. Hind, 'Engraving in England', Part 1, London, 1952, p. 175, no. 22, pl. 96).
Elizabeth Goldring considers this drawing as an example of the designs that Hilliard provided to printmakers; see 'Nicholas Hilliard: life of an artist' (London, Yale University Press, 2019), fig. 247 and pp. 271-272.
- Location
- Not on display
- Exhibition history
-
1980, BM, 'British Figure Drawings' (no.cat)
1983 Jul-Nov, London, V&A, 'Portrait Miniatures', (ex cat.)
1987 London, BM, Drawing in England from Hilliard to Hogarth, No.2
1987 Sept-Nov, New Haven, Hilliard to Hogarth
1998 Jul-Oct, Scottish NPG, Life of Elizabeth of Bohemia
- Acquisition date
- 1837 (before)
- Department
- Prints and Drawings
- Registration number
- T,15.18