Young Man among Roses
Portrait Miniature
ca. 1587 (painted)
ca. 1587 (painted)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
Object Type
This portrait is perhaps the most famous of English miniatures. It epitomises the romantic Elizabethan age and is a masterpiece of miniature paintings by its greatest exponent, Nicholas Hilliard. The large elongated oval shape of this miniature was never repeated in Hilliard's work and must relate to the now unknown purpose of the object. Possibly it was incorporated into an expensive object such as a looking-glass.
Subjects Depicted
Elizabeth was the heart of government and the focus of power in England. As a woman ruler she encouraged a unique court culture, exerting her authority through elaborate rituals of courtship with her male courtiers. This role-playing reached a pitch at the Accession Day ceremonial jousts at which the Queen received the homage of her knights. Each courtier presented her with a shield bearing an 'impressa', a combination of picture and motto 'borne by noble personages.to notify some particular conceit', usually their devotion to the Queen. This culture is reflected in this portrait of a young courtier. [He wears the Queen's colours, black and white, and is surrounded by the eglantine rose, a symbol of the Queen: see note below]
The Sitter
It has been suggested that this unknown young man is Robert Devereux, 2nd Earl of Essex, the Queen's young favourite. At this date he was about 30 years younger than the Queen he pays homage to, hand on heart.
Note: The interpretation of the colours worn by the sitter and the rose is now questioned (See Catharine MacLeod, 'Elizabethan Treasures. Miniatures by Hilliard and Oliver', National Portrait Gallery, London 2019 exhibition cat. no.64). The meanings of these symbols were suggested by experts such as Roy Strong, former Director of the Victoria and Albert Museum, who argued on the basis of these that the young man depicted is declaring his devotion to the Queen. Comparison with portraits thought to be of Robert Devereux, 2nd Earl of Essex (1566-1601) fixed the idea that the miniature could be of Devereux: The young man is said to be dressed in the Queen's colours of black and white. However these colours were not exclusive to the Queen. Another link to Elizabeth is the idea that the young man is surrounded by her personal flower, the eglantine rose. However, as Mary Edmond has pointed out, the eglantine has a red flower, not a white.
This portrait is perhaps the most famous of English miniatures. It epitomises the romantic Elizabethan age and is a masterpiece of miniature paintings by its greatest exponent, Nicholas Hilliard. The large elongated oval shape of this miniature was never repeated in Hilliard's work and must relate to the now unknown purpose of the object. Possibly it was incorporated into an expensive object such as a looking-glass.
Subjects Depicted
Elizabeth was the heart of government and the focus of power in England. As a woman ruler she encouraged a unique court culture, exerting her authority through elaborate rituals of courtship with her male courtiers. This role-playing reached a pitch at the Accession Day ceremonial jousts at which the Queen received the homage of her knights. Each courtier presented her with a shield bearing an 'impressa', a combination of picture and motto 'borne by noble personages.to notify some particular conceit', usually their devotion to the Queen. This culture is reflected in this portrait of a young courtier. [He wears the Queen's colours, black and white, and is surrounded by the eglantine rose, a symbol of the Queen: see note below]
The Sitter
It has been suggested that this unknown young man is Robert Devereux, 2nd Earl of Essex, the Queen's young favourite. At this date he was about 30 years younger than the Queen he pays homage to, hand on heart.
Note: The interpretation of the colours worn by the sitter and the rose is now questioned (See Catharine MacLeod, 'Elizabethan Treasures. Miniatures by Hilliard and Oliver', National Portrait Gallery, London 2019 exhibition cat. no.64). The meanings of these symbols were suggested by experts such as Roy Strong, former Director of the Victoria and Albert Museum, who argued on the basis of these that the young man depicted is declaring his devotion to the Queen. Comparison with portraits thought to be of Robert Devereux, 2nd Earl of Essex (1566-1601) fixed the idea that the miniature could be of Devereux: The young man is said to be dressed in the Queen's colours of black and white. However these colours were not exclusive to the Queen. Another link to Elizabeth is the idea that the young man is surrounded by her personal flower, the eglantine rose. However, as Mary Edmond has pointed out, the eglantine has a red flower, not a white.
Object details
| Categories | |
| Object type | |
| Materials and techniques | Watercolour on vellum stuck onto card |
| Brief description | A Young Man among Roses, portrait miniature, watercolour on vellum, painted by Nicholas Hilliard, ca. 1587. |
| Physical description | Portrait miniature of a young man, full length, oval, leaning against a tree among roses. |
| Dimensions |
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| Content description | Portrait of a young man, full length, standing in a landscape and leaning against a tree, his right hand tucked beneath a cloak which covers his left shoulder. The sitter is surrounded by roses and foliage. |
| Styles | |
| Marks and inscriptions | 'Dat / poenas laudata fides' (Inscribed above the head is a Lating motto taken from Lucan's De Bello Civili) |
| Credit line | Bequeathed by George Salting |
| Object history | COLLECTIONS: A Dutch Bourgeois family, who had owned it for several generations, sold it to Fritz Lugt, who in turn sold it to George Salting; bequeathed by him to the V&A, 1910. |
| Subjects depicted | |
| Summary | Object Type This portrait is perhaps the most famous of English miniatures. It epitomises the romantic Elizabethan age and is a masterpiece of miniature paintings by its greatest exponent, Nicholas Hilliard. The large elongated oval shape of this miniature was never repeated in Hilliard's work and must relate to the now unknown purpose of the object. Possibly it was incorporated into an expensive object such as a looking-glass. Subjects Depicted Elizabeth was the heart of government and the focus of power in England. As a woman ruler she encouraged a unique court culture, exerting her authority through elaborate rituals of courtship with her male courtiers. This role-playing reached a pitch at the Accession Day ceremonial jousts at which the Queen received the homage of her knights. Each courtier presented her with a shield bearing an 'impressa', a combination of picture and motto 'borne by noble personages.to notify some particular conceit', usually their devotion to the Queen. This culture is reflected in this portrait of a young courtier. [He wears the Queen's colours, black and white, and is surrounded by the eglantine rose, a symbol of the Queen: see note below] The Sitter It has been suggested that this unknown young man is Robert Devereux, 2nd Earl of Essex, the Queen's young favourite. At this date he was about 30 years younger than the Queen he pays homage to, hand on heart. Note: The interpretation of the colours worn by the sitter and the rose is now questioned (See Catharine MacLeod, 'Elizabethan Treasures. Miniatures by Hilliard and Oliver', National Portrait Gallery, London 2019 exhibition cat. no.64). The meanings of these symbols were suggested by experts such as Roy Strong, former Director of the Victoria and Albert Museum, who argued on the basis of these that the young man depicted is declaring his devotion to the Queen. Comparison with portraits thought to be of Robert Devereux, 2nd Earl of Essex (1566-1601) fixed the idea that the miniature could be of Devereux: The young man is said to be dressed in the Queen's colours of black and white. However these colours were not exclusive to the Queen. Another link to Elizabeth is the idea that the young man is surrounded by her personal flower, the eglantine rose. However, as Mary Edmond has pointed out, the eglantine has a red flower, not a white. |
| Bibliographic references |
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| Collection | |
| Accession number | P.163-1910 |
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| Record created | December 15, 1999 |
| Record URL |
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