Album with Portraits of English Sovereigns, William I to James I

Art Historical Context

Step into the annals of English history with this exquisite 17th-century album featuring 25 engravings of portraits spanning from William I, the Norman Conqueror of 1066, to James I of the Stuart dynasty. Crafted by a British artist after the designs of Renold Elstr—a pioneering English engraver active in the early 1600s—this bound volume captures the faces and legacies of monarchs who shaped Britain over five centuries. Housed in the National Gallery of Art'swald Collection, it exemplifies the era's fascination with royal lineage and national identity. Engravings, incised into metal plates f...