The Queen Doeger [dowager]
Engraver Isaac Beckett British
Sitter Queen Catherine of Braganza Portuguese
Not on view
Mezzotint, a tonal method of printmaking, was invented in Germany in 1642 and introduced to Britain by Dutch engravers. Beckett was first great native-born Englishman to practice the technique, producing just over than a hundred prints between 1681 and his early death in 1688. Most of these are portraits, many after leading painters. This example shows Catherine of Braganza, now widow of Charles II, elegantly dressed in a dress trimmed with ermine and pearls.