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Mary, Queen of Scots

1791
Not on view
Kay sometimes made etchings of important historical figures, as well as portraying his Edinburgh contemporaries. Here he based a half-length image of Scotland's most famous queen on an engraving by George Vertue, the latter in turn relying on a sixteenth-century painting by Nicholas Hillard. Mary Stuart is shown three quarter length, facing right within an oval, wearing a dark gown with a ruff, gauzy cape, gable headdress, with one cross hanging from a chain around her neck and another from a linked belt. See 58.549.167 and 17.3.756-1112 for a slightly later variant where the sitter faces to the left and is shown half-length.

Artwork Details

Object Information
  • Title: Mary, Queen of Scots
  • Etcher: John Kay (British, Dalkeith, Scotland 1742–1826 Edinburgh)
  • Artist: After George Vertue (British, London 1684–1756 London)
  • Artist: After Nicholas Hilliard (British, Exeter ca. 1547–1619 London)
  • Sitter: Mary, Queen of Scots (British, Linlithgow 1542–1587 Fotheringhay)
  • Date: 1791
  • Medium: Stipple and etching
  • Dimensions: Sheet: 6 1/2 × 4 3/16 in. (16.5 × 10.6 cm)
  • Classification: Prints
  • Credit Line: Gift of Susan Dwight Bliss, 1958
  • Object Number: 58.549.167
  • Curatorial Department: Drawings and Prints

More Artwork

More Artwork
Portraits of Eminent Scotch Characters, John Kay British, Scottish, Etching, stipple, aquatint, mezzotint; one watercolor
Portraits of Eminent Scotch Characters
Drawn and etched by John Kay
1784–1819
"Royal George" Cello, William Forster British, Spruce, maple, ebony, British
"Royal George" Cello
William Forster
1782
An Aga of the Janizaries, Robert Blyth British, Etching with touches of stippling
An Aga of the Janizaries
Artist and publisher Etched and published by Robert Blyth
After John Hamilton Mortimer
July 19, 1779
The Craft in Danger, John Kay British, Scottish, Etching and aquatint
The Craft in Danger
Multiple artists/makers
1817
Alto Recorder, Joseph Bradbury British, Wood, ivory, British
Alto Recorder
Joseph Bradbury
ca. 1700

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