Portrait of Mary Queen of Scots

Object: Painting
Exact Date: 1560s
Country of Origin: England 

Description: Forty-eight portraits exist of Mary Stuart, who was born at Linlithgow Palace, Scotland on 8th February 1542. Following the death of her father James V a week later, Mary became Queen of Scotland. Mary spent most of her childhood in France, betrothed to the Dauphin Francis. A year after marriage in 1558, and upon the death of her father-in-law, the couple inherited the throne of France. Within two years, Mary was widowed, and sensing the hostility of the new regime in France, returned to her homeland of Scotland to take up the reins of power.It is at this point, 1560, that a miniature of Mary Queen of Scots was painted by an anonymous artist, and from this miniature several copies of slightly larger portraits were made. One such is in the collection of the National Portrait Gallery in London. The image shows the head and shoulders of a noble woman in contemporary hunting costume of the utmost luxury. The direct and unflinching gaze suggests strength of character, as befits a woman who was Queen of two countries and held a strong claim to the throne of a third. The image of both the painting at Bunratty, and the National Portrait Gallery, London is identical. Some differences occur, however, in the shape of the nose and earlobes, possibly due to an artist copying a miniature, which was often only a few centimetres wide. 

Acc. No: 200
Item No: 80
Subject Type: Painting
Object Type: Royal portrait
Location: Earl's Bedroom
Nationality: Scottish
Mediums / Material: Oil on Panel
Measurements Metric: 34½ cm W x 42 cm H
Measurements Imperial: 13½W x 16½H
 

« Previous     Next »