Mary, Queen of Scots being urged by Sir Robert Melville to abdicate (from "Oeuvres de Walter Scott: Histoire d'Écosse," series one, volume 26, chapter 29)
This scene, showing an armored man thrusting a sheet of paper at the seated queen, likely represents Sir Robert Melville urging Mary, then imprisoned at Lochleven Castle, to resign the crown of Scotland in favor of her infant son. During their meeting on July 24, 1567, Melville dramatically drew from his scabbard a letter from the English ambassador, which contained a message from Elizabeth supporting his case.
Artwork Details
- Title: Mary, Queen of Scots being urged by Sir Robert Melville to abdicate (from "Oeuvres de Walter Scott: Histoire d'Écosse," series one, volume 26, chapter 29)
- Artist: Pierre-Léonard Dandeleux (French, Troyes 1783–1850 Troyes)
- Artist: After Eugène-Louis Lami (French, Paris 1800–1890 Paris)
- Author: Sir Walter Scott (British, Edinburgh, Scotland 1771–1832 Abbotsford, Scotland)
- Publisher: Furne, Gosselin, Perrotin (French, Paris)
- Sitter: Mary, Queen of Scots (British, Linlithgow 1542–1587 Fotheringhay)
- Published in: Paris
- Date: 1835
- Medium: Etching on chine collé
- Dimensions: Plate: 8 15/16 × 5 7/8 in. (22.7 × 14.9 cm)
Sheet: 11 1/8 × 7 7/8 in. (28.2 × 20 cm) - Classification: Prints
- Credit Line: Gift of Susan Dwight Bliss, 1958
- Object Number: 58.549.162
- Curatorial Department: Drawings and Prints
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