Queen Elizabeth I
Engraving
1592 (printed)
1592 (printed)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
Object Type
This is a type of print called an engraving. It is one of a series of engravings of the Queen commissioned by Hans Woutneel, a book and printseller from The Netherlands who settled in London in 1592. The model for the image of the Queen in this print was taken from a portrait 'pattern' in miniature produced by the miniaturist Isaac Oliver which is now in the V&A. Woutneel possibly commissioned the design from Oliver which was then forwarded to de Passe in the Netherlands to engrave.
People
In 1592 Elizabeth I was nearly sixty when she sat for the portrait on which this print is based. However the portrait was not favoured by the Queen or her government who preferred images that focussed on her iconic status as Queen rather than her mortality as an ageing woman. The succession had not been decided at this time and the government was anxious about the threat of instability after Elizabeth's death.
Ownership & Use
Prints were a more affordable form of image to own than oil paintings or miniatures. Due to the changing political and religious climate in Europe in the 1580s threats to the Queen's safety increased, especially from Spain. People acquired portraits of the Queen to demonstrate their devotion and loyalty.
This is a type of print called an engraving. It is one of a series of engravings of the Queen commissioned by Hans Woutneel, a book and printseller from The Netherlands who settled in London in 1592. The model for the image of the Queen in this print was taken from a portrait 'pattern' in miniature produced by the miniaturist Isaac Oliver which is now in the V&A. Woutneel possibly commissioned the design from Oliver which was then forwarded to de Passe in the Netherlands to engrave.
People
In 1592 Elizabeth I was nearly sixty when she sat for the portrait on which this print is based. However the portrait was not favoured by the Queen or her government who preferred images that focussed on her iconic status as Queen rather than her mortality as an ageing woman. The succession had not been decided at this time and the government was anxious about the threat of instability after Elizabeth's death.
Ownership & Use
Prints were a more affordable form of image to own than oil paintings or miniatures. Due to the changing political and religious climate in Europe in the 1580s threats to the Queen's safety increased, especially from Spain. People acquired portraits of the Queen to demonstrate their devotion and loyalty.
Object details
| Categories | |
| Object type | |
| Title | Queen Elizabeth I (generic title) |
| Materials and techniques | Engraving |
| Brief description | Print, portrait of Queen Elizabeth I, engraving by Crispijn de Passe I, probably after Isaac Oliver, 1592. |
| Physical description | Print, portrait of Queen Elizabeth I, half-length, facing slightly left, crowned and holding an orb and sceptre, with the crowned arms of England in the upper right corner. |
| Dimensions |
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| Marks and inscriptions |
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| Gallery label |
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| Credit line | Given by Edgar Seligman |
| Production | This portrait is probably based on a miniature by Isaac Oliver. An unfinished miniature by Oliver with the same facial types is in the Department of Paintings, P.9-1940. |
| Subjects depicted | |
| Summary | Object Type This is a type of print called an engraving. It is one of a series of engravings of the Queen commissioned by Hans Woutneel, a book and printseller from The Netherlands who settled in London in 1592. The model for the image of the Queen in this print was taken from a portrait 'pattern' in miniature produced by the miniaturist Isaac Oliver which is now in the V&A. Woutneel possibly commissioned the design from Oliver which was then forwarded to de Passe in the Netherlands to engrave. People In 1592 Elizabeth I was nearly sixty when she sat for the portrait on which this print is based. However the portrait was not favoured by the Queen or her government who preferred images that focussed on her iconic status as Queen rather than her mortality as an ageing woman. The succession had not been decided at this time and the government was anxious about the threat of instability after Elizabeth's death. Ownership & Use Prints were a more affordable form of image to own than oil paintings or miniatures. Due to the changing political and religious climate in Europe in the 1580s threats to the Queen's safety increased, especially from Spain. People acquired portraits of the Queen to demonstrate their devotion and loyalty. |
| Associated object | E.3001-1960 (Version) |
| Bibliographic references |
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| Collection | |
| Accession number | E.3000-1960 |
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| Record created | March 27, 2003 |
| Record URL |
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