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Mary Stuart Listening to the Order of Her Execution

1877–78
Not on view
The skilled German engraver Doris Raab here reproduces a painting by Karl von Piloty, a Bavarian master of historical subjects. The image focuses on the dramatic moment that Mary Queen of Scots learns her death warrant has been signed by Queen Elizabeth I, and Mary's contained response contrasts with the visible distress of her waiting women—both precipitated by the arrival of the Earls of Shrewsbury and Kent, Sir Arthur Melville, and a sheriff. This is a proof impression of a print published in Germany in 1877, then reissued in December 1878 in "The Art Journal," a periodical that circulated in London and New York. Mary Stuart's tragic life and death fascinated viewers across Europe and on both sides of the Atlantic.

Artwork Details

Object Information
  • Title: Mary Stuart Listening to the Order of Her Execution
  • Engraver: Doris Raab (German, Nuremburg 1851–before 1933)
  • Artist: After Karl Theodor von Piloty (German, Munich 1826–1886 Ambach bei Munich)
  • Publisher: Probably published by D. Appleton & Co. (New York, NY)
  • Subject: Mary, Queen of Scots (British, Linlithgow 1542–1587 Fotheringhay)
  • Date: 1877–78
  • Medium: Steel engraving; proof
  • Dimensions: Image: 7 7/8 × 10 13/16 in. (20 × 27.4 cm)
    Sheet: 9 1/8 × 12 3/8 in. (23.2 × 31.5 cm)
  • Classification: Prints
  • Credit Line: Gift of Donato Esposito, 2013
  • Object Number: 2013.609.1
  • Curatorial Department: Drawings and Prints

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