| Method | Mezzotint |
| Artist | after Frederico Zuccaro |
| Published | Printed for Carington Bowles, No.69 in St. Pauls Church Yard, London. [c.19th century impression] |
| Dimensions | Image 274 x 223 mm, Plate 308 x 223 mm, Sheet 345 x 255 mm |
| Notes |
A three-quarter length portrait of Mary, Queen of Scots. Mary is depicted standing and facing the viewer. She is turned slightly to the left, wearing a heavily decorated and brocaded dress with large puffed shoulders. Her left hand is slightly raised grasping two roses, her right resting on the arm of a chair which is embroidered with a crown and thistle. She is stood in front of a paned glass window, through which buildings can be seen in the distance. Mary, Queen of Scots (1542 - 1587), also known as Mary Stuart, or Mary I of Scotland, was Queen of Scotland between 1542 and 1567, and between 1559 and 1560, was Queen consort of France. She was the only surviving legitimate child of King James V of Scotland, and when she was only six days old, her father died, meaning that she acceded to the throne. Spending most of her childhood in France, Scotland was ruled by regents. In 1558, she married Francis, Dauphin of France. When he ascended the French throne as King Francis II the following year, Mary became queen consort of France. He died in 1560, and a widowed Mary returned to Scotland. In 1565, she married her first cousin, Henry Stuart, Lord Darnley. Their marriage was unhappy, and two years later, Darnley was murdered following an explosion at his residence. Despite James Hepburn, 4th Earl of Bothwell, widely being acknowledged as having planned Darnley's death, he was acquited, and Mary went on to marry him in 1567. After abdicating as the ruler of Scotland in favour of her husband, James, Mary travelled south to seek protection from her cousin, Queen Elizabeth I of England. Mary was later executed when she was found guilty of plotting to assassinate Elizabeth for the throne. Frederico Zuccaro (c.1540 - 1609) was an Italian artist and architect. Born near Urbino, his career as an artist started in 1550 when he moved to Rome. He worked under Taddeo Zuccaro, his older brother, where he helped in the completion of frescoes at the Villa Farnese and worked on commissions from Pope Pius IV. In 1574 he travelled to England where he was commissioned to create works depicting Robert Dudley and Queen Elizabeth, as well as Mary Queen of Scots. Chaloner Smith 69, iii/iii, O'Donoghue 1 Condition: Repaired tear to bottom margin. |
| Framing | unmounted |
| Price | £140.00 |
| Stock ID | 46822 |